A Bi-Weekly LULAC Newsletter

Issue No. 45

Hello John,

La Liga is here for your bi-weekly update on Latino news. We are so excited to share with you what is in store at LULAC and our councils throughout the country and Puerto Rico. Follow us on social media to stay up to date on all events, webinars, and programs!

Here’s what you will find in this issue:

1. LULAC Relief Fund for Hurricane Fiona
2. DOD Summer Internship
3. United We Stand Summit
4. No Kid Hungry Program
5. Back To School Food Safety

By Viviana Calderon

LULAC Stands Ready to Assist Puerto Rico in the Devastating Aftermath of Hurricane Fiona

LULAC needs your help assisting with the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico. Together we can make a greater impact and help the people of Puerto Rico rebuild their lives. 🇵🇷 lulac.org/prrelieffund

The following LULAC leaders issued statements regarding Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico:

“We support the Biden Administration's decision approving immediate assistance to the people of Puerto Rico. Once again, the least able to fend for themselves are the ones most affected. The loss of the island's power grid is especially concerning because of medical equipment and care that requires electricity. We urge all federal agencies engaged in emergency response to move with deliberate urgency to help Puerto Rico,” said Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President.

“We know our thousands of members on the ground on the island are mobilized and working to help impacted individuals. LULAC commends their service,” said Sindy Benavides, LULAC CEO. “We also want to thank President Biden for approving an emergency declaration in Puerto Rico and authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to mobilize and coordinate aid. As the immediate and long-term widespread damage to homes and infrastructure is assessed, LULAC will work with federal authorities to ensure that people get the help they need.”

In early September, LULAC and other advocacy groups participated in White House’s ‘United We Stand’ summit.

Sindy Benavides, LULAC National Chief Executive Officer, had the following statement:

“Unfortunately the Latino community, as well as many other minority and religious communities, have been victimized over and over again by deadly gun violence. As a civil rights and social justice organization, LULAC applauds the White House for bringing this issue to the forefront and acknowledging that the government needs to have a leading role in addressing domestic extremism in all forms. LULAC looks forward to working with the Biden Administration, law enforcement, stakeholders at all levels of government and other community groups to find long-term solutions.”

​​The White House will host the historical “United We Stand” Summit on September 15, 2022.

(Source: Al Día)

September 15th - October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month!

Join LULAC in celebrating and recognizing the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

(Source: hispanicheritagemonth.gov)

Opinion: It's time to close the digital divide in the Latino community | Opinión: Es hora de cerrar la brecha digital en la comunidad latina

By Sindy M. Benavides and Angie Cooper

Heartland Forward and LULAC know high-speed internet access is essential to create real economic opportunity and equity for the Latino community. Read more.

Did you miss the LULAC News Spring/Summer Edition?

It’s not too late to catch up on LULAC’s work!

This issue brings light to the power of mobilization and working together. The Fall 2021 issue captures a rejuvenated energy and passion within LULAC.

You can read the inspiration from our LULAC National President, Domingo Garcia, and LULAC leaders who are committed to our mission. We encourage you to join us and dive into the recent programs, actions, and policy issues that have guided our efforts across the country.

Read Here

Submit your local event or stay up-to-date with our LULAC Calendar.

Kickstart your career by interning with the Department of Defense.

The DoD College Acquisition Internship Program (DCAIP) gives college students an opportunity to explore their field of study at the highest level - while getting paid to do so! Apply at hci.mil before the October 12, 2022 deadline!

The Take Down Tobacco Youth Advocacy Tour is geared towards youth and young adult advocates who are interested in becoming a Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Youth Ambassador. These are advocates ready to take on the tobacco industry and fight for social and health justice movements.

This tour will offer opportunities to learn through real-time advocacy experiences such as meetings with legislators/decision makers; workshops to improve writing, media engagement,activism, and community organizing; and opportunities to work alongside and build networks with other advocates.

Learn more by visiting: www.takedowntobacco.org/2022-youth-tour-registration

Big Tobacco continues to lure kids with flavored e-cigarettes, hooking them with massive doses of nicotine. These addictive products can impact kids’ brain development, learning, and ability to focus in school. Overall, nearly one in ten (9.1%) Hispanic high school students are current users of any tobacco product. E-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among Hispanic high school students in 2021. As students go back to school, know how to stop youth nicotine addiction before it starts.

SIGNS OF VAPING TO LOOK OUT FOR

• If your kid is spending more time alone than usual or coming up with excuses to frequently step-away – those may be some early warning signs.
• Watch for changes in behavior that indicate addiction, like changes in appearance, mood, sleeping patterns or even impulse control.
• Instead of the smell of traditional cigarettes, with e-cigarettes you may only notice a faint, but sweet scent like a whiff of bubble gum or strawberry cheesecake.
• Watch for an unexplained cough or an increase in thirst.

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KID

• Learn more about the issue and have quick, frequent conversations with your kids. Keep the touch points brief & avoid the big “sit-down.”
• It’s fine to not have all the answers! You can admit that you’re on this journey together and that you can figure it out…together.

RESOURCES FOR HELP

• If you think your child is using e-cigarettes – especially if they are showing signs of nicotine addiction – it’s important to get help from your pediatrician or other medical provider.
• Check out LULAC’s tobacco prevention toolkit, available in English and Spanish, at lulac.org/livetobaccofree/
• Share information on quitting e-cigarettes at teen.smokefree.gov. Truth Initiative also has a great text program to help youth vapers quit at truthinitiative.org/thisisquitting.

SHARE YOUR STORY

Has smoking, vaping or other tobacco use affected you or your family, school or community? We want to hear from you! Tell us your story on takedowntobacco.org/share-your-story.

2022-2023 No Kid Hungry Program

Now accepting proposals! Deadline to apply is October 7, 2022.

On behalf of LULAC Institute Inc. and No Kid Hungry, we invite you to apply for the 2022-2023 Sembrando Comunidad Food and Nutrition Program. We believe that it is important to address food insecurity in communities across the United States. LULAC will be training and deploying our LULAC Councils to educate and promote assistance programs to curb food insecurity.

Through the Request for Proposals (RFP), eight (8) winning proposals will receive up to $15,000 each to support the implementation of their proposed projects from November 2022 through June 2023. Through this initiative, LULAC and No Kid Hungry will provide funding to host food box distributions, offer nutritional eating workshops and educational events to discuss the public charge rule and government programs such as SNAP and WIC available to community members.

We invite LULAC councils located in Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas to apply for this grant. To access the RFP, visit www.lulac.org/comunidad. Proposals must be submitted by clicking here by 11:59 PM EST on October 7, 2022.

For questions, contact [email protected].

It’s time for you to get your annual flu shot + updated COVID-19 boosters are here!

The CDC now recommends an updated COVID-19 booster for all people 12 years and older to help protect communities against Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, the dominant virus strains in the United States.

This more targeted booster comes ahead of cold and flu season, when we see more respiratory viruses circulating. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect ourselves and those around us.

You can make an appointment for COVID-19 vaccines, boosters, flu shots and other vaccinations through Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine or 1-800-WALGREENS, both available in Spanish and English, or by downloading the Walgreens app.

USDA Issues Helpful Reminders for Your School Lunch Prep

Jesus Garcia, Public Affairs Specialist, FSIS-USDA

More than 50 million youth are expected to attend U.S. schools this fall, and a good portion will be taking their own lunches to school. To help parents and caregivers prepare to-go meals safely, USDA offers some advice. Homemade school lunches strive to contain healthy nutrients to fuel the day, but perishable lunches do the body no good if they cross over to the “Danger Zone” in poorly insulated bags with no cooling or heating option. If these lunches are kept in temperatures between 40 F and 140 F for more than two hours (or one hour when it’s 90 F outside), bacteria will multiply quickly and make food unsafe.

Here are some tips:

Use an insulated lunch bag. Avoid brown paper bags. Purchase an insulated bag and add a frozen gel pack and a frozen juice box or bottle of water to keep items at 40 F or below.

Keep it hot. If soup, chili or stew is on the menu, use an insulated container to keep food heated. Fill the container with boiling water, let it stand for a few minutes, empty it, and then pour in the hot liquid meal. Keep the insulated container closed until lunchtime to keep items at 140 F or above.

Choose non-refrigerated items. Include options that don’t require refrigeration in your child’s lunch, like whole fruits, raw and uncut vegetables, hard cheeses, unopened shelf stable meats and fish cans and pouches, chips, bread, crackers, peanut butter and jelly.

Learn how to keep meals safe with USDA’s Four Steps to Food Safety. For more information, contact the Meat and Poultry Hotline from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern

Time, Monday through Friday via:

Phone: 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854)

Email: [email protected]

Live chat: ask.usda.gov

Pew Research Center, Key facts about U.S. Latinos for National Hispanic Heritage Month

CNBC, Latinos are seeing the least amount of growth in corporate board representation, new findings show

The San Diego Union Tribune, Power and success of Latino community to be celebrated at San Diego L’Attitude conference

NPR, Alt.Latino is taking over the mic at Tiny Desk concerts for Latinx Heritage Month

*Selected highlights from the week

Press Releases