La Paz Chattanooga Latino Community Center Groundbreaking

from Heroes 2020

by La Paz Chattanooga

Testimonials

Photos By Delve stuDio

After a year of so much uncertainty, we end the year with so much to celebrate.

We had big plans to have a community ribbon cutting during Hispanic Heritage month this year, announcing the opening of our new center.

But, in March, our plans came to a screeching halt with the arrival of Covid-19. We just announced that La Paz was starting the bidding process and we had a contractors meeting on the schedule.

But, our team met that day in March, after the mayor issued an executive order to stay home and we made a plan to support the Latino community during the pandemic. We shifted 100% of our staff to relief efforts.

It’s been a hard year for the community, for nonprofits and businesses, for all of us…but this project is a reason to celebrate.

With almost a million dollars raised, we started the construction process in early October of this year. Our fundraising job is not quite over as we need an additional $500,000 to complete the project. We also know that our gathering space may become more of a Covid-19 space for testing, for food distribution…for something other than a meeting space for the near future, but we are prepared to raise the additional funds as well as shift to meet the needs of the community.

Together, we will build a center that will provide dignity and confidentiality for our most vulnerable community members. A place of safety and guidance for those seeking refuge, a center for economic empowerment and we will transition this old firehall into a catalyst for community change.

This building will bring people from all walks of life, together…to learn from each other, to celebrate our differences and similarities and build true community.