The Latin American Association aims to raise $1 million at its 38th annual Latin Fever Ball on Nov. 14.
The event will bring together 500 corporate and community leaders to celebrate LAA’s work and cement future financial support.
Funds raised during the ball are essential to keeping the LAA running as the organization receives much of its funding in the form of grants from counties or private foundations, but these dollars are often attached to certain projects or place-specific programs.
Santiago Marquez, CEO of the LAA, said that the “unrestricted” dollars that come from the ball are often used for operating costs and to pay the organization’s staff.
“You can’t really have impact without people,” Marquez said.
The staff is in high demand. In the past year, the LAA served 25,000 families with more than 74,000 services. Services include stabilizing families in times of crisis, adjusting immigration status, and placing job seekers with employers.
Food support has also consistently been one of the highest requested services over the past six years.
“This started during the pandemic and it has continued to grow,” Marquez said.
The majority of LAA’s clients were essential workers during the pandemic lockdown. Many got sick and couldn’t work. Today, several still work low-wage jobs and struggle to pay for groceries amidst high inflation, he said. Increased immigration enforcement has also crippled many families.
“In many cases we’re seeing that the breadwinner who is going out to try to work and bring money home for the family is the one that’s being deported,” Marquez said. “What we see is the mom and the kids left behind without income.”
Last year, the LAA began doing removal defense work as part of their immigration and legal services. They obtained funding for in-house counsel, partnered with a law firm, and started a help hotline.
It also expanded citizenship classes and mental health services for families experiencing trauma. The ball will bring in crucial resources for these efforts as well.
Still, Marquez emphasized the LAA’s main goal is to support Georgia’s Latino families as a non-partisan organization. He said that it is important to raise money for their crisis response services, but the ball will also be an opportunity for joy.
A LAA survey of 498 clients in the spring found that 57% are optimistic about their future, and 65% are optimistic about their children’s future.
“This is the best place that they could be to be able to have success for themselves and their families, and they feel that there’s an opportunity here,” Marquez said. “They’re resilient. I want to be able to tell that full story.”
The night will be one of reflection, community and celebration.
“It’s an opportunity for people to enjoy themselves and be able to feel good about giving back to their own community,” Marquez said. “This is not just the Latino community. This is Atlanta. This is Georgia. This is who we are.”
