Mayor
Muriel Bowser

Director of Mayor's Office of Community Affairs  
Lamont Akins

Jackie Reyes-Yanes,
Executive Director

Camilo Manjarres,
Director of Operations

Marjhorys Ibarguen,
Public Information Officer

Dian Lammy,
Special Assistant

Eduardo Perdomo,
Grants Management Coordinator

Tamira Benitez,
Grants Monitor

Ingrid Gutierrez,
Community Outreach Coordinator

Alexis Valdovinos,
Community Outreach Specialist

Ronal Avila,
Language Access Coordinator

Angela Gonzalez,
Language Access Monitor

In This Issue

• Letter from the Mayor
• A message from the Executive Director
• MOLA in the Community
• Commissioners Corner
• Announcements

• Spotlight Latinx in Government

• Spotlight MOLA Grantees
• Upcoming Events

A message from the Executive Director

Happy Black History Month! This month Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrated influential Afro Latinos in the District of Columbia. Every day, our office, in collaboration with the DC Afro Latino Caucus, highlighted Afro Latinos who have contributed to education, entrepreneurship, culinary arts, communications, public service and other areas. I am honored to have the opportunity to meet new and emerging Latino leaders and see how we, as a community, can come together and work to continue making DC a prosperous city.  February was also a historic month for the District of Columbia: the House Oversight and Reform Committee passed the Washington, DC. Admission Act “D.C. Statehood Bill.” Mayor Bowser and the D.C. Statehood Team have been working tirelessly to make this a reality. We have joined this effort enthusiastically and hope that this becomes a reality for all the 702,000 Washingtonians. To quote Mayor Bowser: “...the relentless and forced attacks on our DC values serve as an important reminder that statehood is not only about representation in Congress, it is also about self-government, autonomy, and defending the very principles our nation’s democracy was founded on. By focusing their attacks on our values, opponents of statehood have proven once again that they have no other case to make – constitutional or otherwise. Finally, it is fitting that this historic vote happened in the midst of Black History Month, for I dare say – achieving DC statehood would be black history.” Mayor Muriel Bowser.  This month, along with 32 MOLA grantees, we were at the DC Council’s Performance Oversight Hearing to testify before the Chairman of the Committee on Government Operations, Councilmember Brandon Todd, about the bold investments that our Mayor is making to benefit the Latino community in DC. We are also taking every opportunity that we can get to educate and encourage all Latinos about the upcoming Census 2020; thus, we recently joined the Embassy of Honduras, the OAS Honduras Representative, and members of the community not only to celebrate the 273 anniversary of the Virgin of Suyapa but also to remind the congregation that every single person in the District matters and that we, as a community, have the responsibility to make sure that every single household gets counted. We had the pleasure of visiting the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) to celebrate the Independence Day of the Dominican Republic with Dominican Embassy staff, diplomats and Dominican leaders.  Moreover, we accompanied Mayor Bowser in the series of Budget Engagement Forums in Wards 3, 5 and 7 to share, engage, and listen to the inputs of our District residents regarding the priorities for the FY 2021 budget. We would like to thank our Latino constituents for taking the time to  participate and speak out about topics that matter to our community such as housing, education, public safety, and funding for immigration. We were also excited to host a successful first networking get together with Latinx who work in government! Team MOLA and myself were delighted to connect and get to know outstanding Latinx public servants who are doing a great job throughout DC government agencies. We look forward to continuing organizing these types of activities so that we can keep building a strong Latino community on all fronts in the District of Columbia.  We were also proud to join Mayor Bowser, business owners, and residents demanding to #KeepMetroOpen for late night services throughout the DMV, which will be reflected in more job opportunities and economic growth in the region. Lastly, please make sure that you are telling your friends and acquaintances about subscribing to our monthly newsletter; also, if you aren’t already doing so, please follow and like us on our social media outlets  Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Thank you for being so faithful to La Voz de MOLA Newsletter. See you next month!  ¡Mil Gracias and Happy International Women’s Day!   Jackie Reyes-Yanes Executive Director Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA)

MOLA* Celebrates Black History Month with Caras Lindas Campaign

In honor of Black History Month, MOLA showcased talented, hardworking, and influential Afro Latinos in DC through its Caras Lindas Campaign. The purpose of the campaign was to highlight and post individual biographical profiles that reflected the diversity within the Afro Latino community. The campaign recognized the diligent work that Afro Latinos are doing in the community and the different ways in which they are making a difference. MOLA, in collaboration with the DC Afro Latino Caucus, shared with the community their stories and honored them during this Black History Month. Please make sure to read all the profiles on our official social media accounts!

*Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA) 

MOLA* Commisioner’s Retreat

Our MOLA commissioners had a successful retreat this month. At the retreat, commissioners emphasized their mission to support Mayor Bower’s initiatives and promised to advocate for the interests of Latino communities in DC. Successful conversations about leadership and collaborative work increased engagement and excitement about advocacy. MOLA takes the opportunity to give a special thank you to Mr. Willair St. Vill of DC Human Resources for providing a very useful presentation and facilitating the group conversation.

*Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA) 

Discussing MOLA’s Progress and Success at the Performance Oversight Hearing 

This month, Director Reyes testified at the Performance Oversight Hearing about the work that MOLA is doing on behalf of Mayor Bowser to engage and support Latino residents in DC. MOLA gives a special thank you to all the grantees and the public for attesting to the excellent work that Mayor Bowser and our office are doing for the Latino and immigrant communities here in DC. MOLA’s support and collaboration with its partners has contributed to the growth and success and we promise to continue working hard to continue making DC a prosperous city.

*Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA) 

MOLA* Hosted DC Councilmember Brandon Todd

MOLA had the great honor to host Ward 4 Councilmember, Brandon Todd this month. We had a wonderful conversation about Mayor Bowser’s initiatives for the Latino community. Director Reyes spoke about the DC Census and Mr. Todd committed himself to make sure that all Latinos get counted in this year’s census. Team MOLA enjoyed sharing about the work that they do to advance DC values and we look forward to interacting with other councilmembers to have great interactions like the one with councilmember Brandon Todd.

*Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA) 

Director Reyes and Deputy Mayor Falcicchio Attended the Grand Opening of La Cosecha

We are always proud to see Latino small businesses make their way to success. This month Director Jackie Reyes-Yanes and DMPED Acting Deputy Mayor, John J. Falcicchio celebrated with the Peruvian Brothers at their grand opening at La Cosecha which specializes in cuisine, art and culture. We were excited and thankful to them for bringing Latino gastronomy and traditions to DC. We had a lot of fun at their ribbon-cutting ceremony and look forward to visiting often and tasting delicious dishes!

MOLA* Gave Census Presentation at the Carlos Rosario’s Spring Assemblies

MOLA did an excellent job engaging around 1,200 students at the Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, Harvard Campus, during their spring assemblies. MOLA encouraged students to count themselves for this year’s census and invited them to volunteer as Census Ambassadors. Additionally, MOLA also highlighted Mayor Bowser’s services for the Latino community to ensure that students are aware of all the resources that are available to them.

*Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA) 

February Budget Engagement Forums 

This month Team MOLA attended Mayor Bowser’s budget engagement forums to engage with Latino constituents and provide Spanish interpretation services to Latinos with limited or non-English proficiency. This year, the series of forums initiated with senior telephone town halls in different sites throughout the District such as Vida Senior Center and the Bernice Fonteneau Senior Center. For the face-to-face engagement with Mayor Bowser, the forums were held in  Edgewood Recreation Center, the University of the District of Columbia and Kenilworth Recreation Center in wards 5, 3 and 7 respectively. It was a great experience and the interpretation services provided allowed everyone to fully participate in the conversations and activities.

Census Community Chat: LULAC & MOLA Team Up!

MOLA* partnered up with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) during their time in DC as a part of the EMERGE conference to help spread awareness and information about the 2020 census. LULAC and our outreach team interacted with the Latino population and small businesses along U Street and in Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights. This collaboration effectively brought information to the Latino community which has been undercounted in previous census efforts. LULAC and MOLA spent over 5 hours talking to over 50 people answering questions and handing out flyers with important dates and details. With LULAC’s help, MOLA was able to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to get counted in this year’s census.

*Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA) 

Dialogue on Diversity Recognized Director Reyes

The Dialogue on Diversity, a non-profit organization comprised of an international network of entrepreneurs and professionals that bring together Latino and other diverse traditions, recognized Director Reyes this month with an award. Her outstanding leadership and continuous support for the organization was applauded and special recognition was given to her heritage and culture as it provides a vital perspective to Dialogue on Diversity. The Diversity City Leadership award is a proud testament to all the hard work that Director Reyes and MOLA continue to do in order to make sure that the Latino community is continuously represented and included.

Census Training at the Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico

The Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico hosted MOLA’s outreach team for their census training. After informative lessons and conversations about what the census entails, Consulate staff became Census Ambassadors! Feel free to reach out to them as well as MOLA with any questions about the census. Our goal is that all of DC gets counted because we all matter to the Bowser Administration!

Amor and Comunidad Event Hosted by Trans-Latinx DMV

MOLA was excited to join Trans-Latinx DMV, a Two-Spirit led organization focusing on the needs of Black & Indigenous Trans-Latinx people living in the area, at Whitman-Walker Health. Their Amor and Comunidad event celebrated love in the Trans, Intersex, and Non-Binary Gender Community. Team MOLA talked to attendees about Mayor Bowser’s public programs, the DC Census, as well as language access rights all while celebrating diversity and inclusion in the community.

Great turn out at this Month’s Mobile Food Market!

MOLA’s Mobile Food Market made possible through a partnership with Capital Area Food Bank served the DC community with free fruits, vegetables, and other groceries at Ward 4 and Ward 7. With more than 250 people in attendance, team MOLA and their volunteers were able to distribute fresh and healthy food to every single one of them. Be sure to attend next month’s mobile food market!