Testimonials

We are proud of our work with La Paz as we’ve responded together to two crises in our community: the April tornadoes and the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with La Paz, we were able to bring critical resources to the Latino community and support our neighbors, even in the toughest times. These moments show us that the power of generosity and partnership shines bright in Chattanooga.

Dwayne Marshall

VP of Community Investment Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga

TESTIMONIALS

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce quickly provided information and resources to small businesses, our members and community partners. We rapidly transformed our website to help employers navigate a variety of programs supporting local businesses - and we connected people seeking work with companies who were hiring. We continue to update the website daily.

Thanks to La Paz many resources are published in Spanish. They quickly offered to translate and shared helpful resources with their extensive network. As a longtime champion for the Latinx community in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, their reputation and trust with these individuals ensured access to needed resources for many who may have not had it without their support. The Chattanooga Chamber is grateful for La Paz and their leadership in service.

Miles Huff

Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce

My name is Jermaine Freeman and I’m the Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Andy Berke of the City of Chattanooga. Earlier this year as our city began to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, it became apparent that our local Latino community was particularly hard hit by the spread of the Coronavirus. At the direction of Mayor Andy Berke, I provided staff support to a group of local Latino leaders as they created a public awareness campaign in response to the pandemic. This group - led by Angela Garcia - tirelessly worked to make sure that all available current information about the virus - and resources for those infected and their families - was known and available to our local Latino community. By bringing together communications and business professionals, faith leaders, nonprofit and education leaders, and grassroots organizers, we were able to amplify a message about the magnitude of the threat posed by this disease. I will forever be grateful for their generosity, care, and commitment. I thank Angela and the team for allowing me to serve them and for allowing me to support and assist our Latino community.

Jermaine Freeman

Deputy Chief of Staff Office of The Mayor, City of Chattanooga

The Enterprise Center and Tech Goes Home could not imagine more dedicated partners than La Paz. As COVID-19 has exacerbated the needs of our neighbors — highlighting the depth and breadth of the digital divide in our community — La Paz has been there every step of the way. From launching a new mobile computer lab; to hosting and providing interpretation for Tech Goes Home classes (including the first ever conducted remotely); to translating the websites and outreach materials for both public WiFi access and HCS EDConnect, powered by EPB; to helping build an online small business resiliency kit, no aspect of this collaborative pandemic response would have been possible without the team at La Paz. Our community is much stronger and united for their leadership, and we look forward to working together long into the future.

Geoff Millener

Senior Program and Operations Officer The Enterprise Center

We greatly appreciate the partnership we share with La Paz and never more than in 2020. La Paz has been a key component of our Children’s Cabinet whose mission is to provide key wrap around services to students outside the school day.

The advent of the Coronavirus highlighted the importance of this effort and as we transitioned to virtual learning this past spring, La Paz was there to ensure our Latino community was fully involved in the county and schools education outreach.

Additionally La Paz formed a working group to ensure the communications efforts of various agencies would also be inclusive to the Latino community as we continued our coexistence with Covid-19. La Paz’s efforts have been invaluable to Hamilton County as we have dealt with this pandemic and we heartily thank them for their ongoing commitment to the residents of Hamilton County.

Jim Coppinger

Hamilton County Mayor

We are so grateful to have La Paz serving the Latinx community especially this past year during the pandemic and in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday tornado. La Paz was instrumental in getting supplies out to the Latinx families at Auburn Hill, a trailer park destroyed by the tornado. With the Latinx community being especially hard hit by Covid-19, La Paz has worked tirelessly to educate the Latinx community and provide testing sites and supplies to those in need. When you have a handful of agencies providing limited services to the Spanish-speaking community the need becomes overwhelming. La Paz was part of strategic collaborations such as the United Way of Greater Chattanooga COVID Task Force calls, the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County meetings that addressed specific needs within the Latinx community. La Paz worked with the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, United Way of Greater Chattanooga, and others to bring much needed relief to those who are not always eligible to receive assistance through traditional avenues. La Paz’s impact during these difficult times has been amazing. We are thankful for their passionate and dedicated staff who have worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the Latinx Community in Hamilton and surrounding counties.

Carmen Hutson, LCSW

Director of Stability and Community Programming United Way of Greater Chattanooga

Accelerator for America exists to develop and share solutions to economic insecurity with America’s cities, and we are proud to have partnered with La Paz Chattanooga to provide direct financial assistance to southeast Tennessee families hardest-hit by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Aaron Thomas, President and CEO of Accelerator for America. “Too many Latinx families have been left out of federal assistance programs since this crisis began, and our work with La Paz has helped fill a critical gap during this unprecedented time. La Paz does projects that are so very important for Latinos. We are so happy to support La Paz because we are all here to support you, the Latino community.

Daphne Kirksey

External Affairs Manager Tennessee American Water

La Paz has been an integral community partner for COVID-19 community testing with Cempa Community Care. Starting in May of this year, Cempa and La Paz partnered to provide pop up COVID-19 testing for the Hispanic communities in and around Chattanooga. Cempa relied heavily on La Paz to reach the Hispanic communities through their network and connections. Furthermore, in August of this year, La Paz and Cempa partnered again for a more permanent testing model, where COVID-19 testing was offered daily at La Paz. During the partnership with La Paz from May thru November, around 5,000 tests were performed with 20% of the Hispanic community being tested. The Partnership between Cempa and La Paz has been crucial in helping the Hispanic communities during this worldwide pandemic.

Loni Howard

Mobile Clinic Coordinator Cempa Community Care

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR COMMUNITY HEROES AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS FOR STEPPING UP TO SUPPORT THE LATINO COMMUNITY THIS YEAR:

Accelerator for America Alleo Health The Bethlehem Center Cempa Community Care Chattanooga Area Food Bank Clínica Médicos Collegedale Community Church Community Foundation 50 LAPAZCHATTANOOGA.ORG of Greater Chattanooga The Enterprise Center EPB First Horizon Foundation Hamilton County Health Department The Hispanic Federation Latinx Hikers Lifespring Community Health The Osborne Foundation Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church The Robert Finley Stone Foundation Tennessee American Water Foundation Tennessee United Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) United Way of Greater Chattanooga We Over Me Chattanooga YMCA