It is gratifying that individuals, foundations, and corporations support Esperanza’s excellent work through financial contributions. It is their investments that enable us to provide services to everyone without charge.
 

We are pleased to announce that we received grants from the Eaton Corporation, Fun(d) First, Verizon, the Impacta Kids Foundation and the Treu-Mart Foundation for the first time in 2012 to serve our Hispanic youth. A full list of funders is published in our Annual Report and updated regularly online.
 

We are grateful for our generous and inspiring individual donors, who gave over $10,000--the highest amount ever--during last year’s Annual Campaign. Not only does their generosity mean we can help more students to graduate and go on to rewarding and productive lives, it signals their caring to those students.
 

We also warmly welcome 16 new scholarship donors to the Esperanza family, who enabled us to award $93,200 in scholarships to 93 students this year, another record.
 

Please join us in investing in our youth, our future, by considering a secure on-line donation this holiday season. GRACIAS.

Smart. Cute. Ambitious. Friendly. Funny. Arelis Latimer is all these and more.
 

The 17-year-old senior at Lincoln West High School in Cleveland has been an active member of Esperanza’s Hispanic Youth Leadership Program (HYLP) for two years which, she says, helped her to explore career options and select the perfect one for her.
 

“Architecture and environmental design, because I’m really good at math and I like art. I’ve applied to Kent State and Bowling Green, and I might apply to the University of Cincinnati. I know I’ll have to get a Master’s degree, too.” Through HYLP, Arelis has visited Kent State and Bowling Green, which she would not have done otherwise.
 

The program also helped her gain leadership skills, plan for her future, and improve her grades. She now has higher aspirations for herself, she admits. Making new friends who have college and career goals as well is a great benefit—and lots of fun, too.
 

Arelis got a summer job this year through Esperanza, she says with her adorable grin. “I worked at Catholic Charities. We learned how to make puppets and put on puppet shows, we made coloring books, and did other activities with anti-drug messages. I was really glad to have a job. I have a lot to thank Esperanza for.”

From family engagement to increasing graduation rates, Esperanza's programs were highlighted in several media outlets this week including The Plain Dealer, Channel 3, and WCPN's Sound of Ideas.

WKYC Channel 3

Sound of Ideas

The Plain Dealer: Parental involvement in schools leads to successful students, stronger schools | Sunday, November 11

In a delightful surprise, the Cleveland Foundation and Center for Community Solutions presented the prestigious $20,000 Anisfield-Wolf Memorial Award to Esperanza in October for its 2011 Summer of Hope.
 

Forty high school students volunteered up to 30 hours each week for eight weeks at eight diverse community organizations. After each day of service, the participants reflected on their experiences through a blog. Not only did the program result in 1,283 volunteer hours for the community that summer, it led to a new youth-driven service learning component that has had a direct impact in the Clark-Metro neighborhood of Cleveland and other parts of the city.
 

In presenting the award, Kathleen Hallissey of the Cleveland Foundation remarked, “Esperanza created an opportunity for students and their families to develop a culture of giving, to ‘pay it forward’ to others in their community. As those students recognize the positive results of their volunteer service, they in turn inspire their peers to participate and foster the spirit of volunteerism across our community. We encourage them to continue on that path and make community service an integral part of their lives.”

Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood is featuring a vibrant exhibition of work by local Latino artists to celebrte Hispanic Heritage Month. The opening reception on September 14, 2012 launched the month long exhibition feauring prominens artists.

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To celebrate Hispanic Cultural Heritage Month, Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to present the Hispanic Art, Hispanic Heritage exhibit on display September 14 through October 14, 2012 in the Jean Bulicek Galleria. Discover the beauty of Hispanic culture through the eyes of 13 Hispanic artists from Northeast Ohio in artwork demonstrating their brilliant use of color, materials and expression.

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The storybook is a collection of more than 40 single-page stories — each written, illustrated and translated by a team of three students and conveying messages of hopefulness or overcoming adversity.
Over several days last winter and spring, St. Martin de Porres High School juniors teamed up with sixth-graders at Luis Muñoz Marin, a predominantly Hispanic public school in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, to create bilingual storybooks that will be sent to a Honduran orphanage for HIV-positive children.

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A sellout crowd of 350 guests packed the Barley House in Cleveland on a smokin’ hot June 19 for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s Jam for Justice fundraiser.

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Esperanza Inc. celebrated the 22nd Fiesta of Hope and awarded 93 scholarships of $1,000 each to deserving students, with more than 750 supporters, parents and friends present at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel on June 22, 2012.

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Yazmine Rosario is a recent high school graduate with aspirations of studying psychology. She’s on the path to fulfilling her dream, thanks in part to a scholarship sponsored by The MetroHealth System and administered by Esperanza, Inc.

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Ohio Hispanic Social Service Workers Association (OHSSWA) held their 10th annual conference with main focus on Health Disparities, “Opening Paths towards the Horizon in Good Health” on April 14, 2012. More than 80 adults and children attended, participating in health workshops, met with local agencies dedicated to improving health, access and information.

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An effort to ensure that more Cleveland students graduate from college is well under way six months after local civic leaders and educators decided to team up. And it’s clear that they have plenty of work ahead of them.

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Esperanza Inc.: Felicia Soto, JP Morgan Chase, was elected president; Maria Haller, Sherwin-Williams Co., first vice president; Maribel Verdon, Cliffs Natural Resources, second vice president; Anibal Estremera, Cliffs Natural Resources, treasurer; and Ginny Whipkey, Insurance Consultants LLC, secretary. Those named to the board are Justin Perry, Cleveland State University; Danny Vazquez, Cuyahoga Community College; Manuel Dominguez, NASA; Andrew Connors, Fairport Asset Management; Robert Swellie, Ron Lang and Associates; Mary Kay Schneider, PNC Bank; David Proano, Baker & Hostetler; and Carlos Elias, Eaton Corp. The organization works to improve the academic achievement of Hispanics in Greater Cleveland.

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Cleveland: The Hispanic Roundtable and the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs (OCHLA) met with local delegates from Congress, Ohio House, and Senate, as well as Cleveland City Council on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012 to discuss policy matters affecting the Latino community.

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The investments are going to three Cleveland-based groups: Esperanza, Inc., Neighborhood Progress, Inc., Friends of Breakthrough, Inc.,

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In Northeast Ohio and across the nation, graduation rates remain low for underserved populations that are facing language and other barriers in pursuit of post-secondary education.

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