Conexion Americas Annual Report 2012 2013

annual report 2012 2013

“At Casa Azafrán's grand opening, the culturally interlaced Nashville of the future arrives early.”

Casa Azafrán

A Home for All Casa Azafrán brings together Nashvillians from all walks of life On the evening of January 30, 2013, Latino men and women arrived at Casa Azafrán for an entrepreneurship class in the Thinkubator; Nashvillians of all stripes walked through the main lobby toward Flatrock Hall for a free showing of the documentary “La Camioneta” presented by Vanderbilt’s Center for Latin American Studies; and in the Global Education Center studio, a raucous Zumba class was in progress.

Nashville Scene December 2012

In that moment, just two months after Casa Azafrán opened, the staff of Conexión Américas knew the dream had just been realized: Casa Azafrán brought Nashvillians together.

And in the weeks to come, Casa Azafrán – at the gateway to Nashville’s international district -- would prove itself to be the center it was designed to become: A home for all.

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CONNECT WITH US

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Casa Azafrán, a $5.5 million initiative of Conexión Américas, offers: ✦ English as a Second Language classes ✦ Parent engagement workshops ✦ Affordable commercial kitchen rental and incubator assistance for food entrepreneurs ✦ Music, arts, dance classes for adults and children ✦ Affordable event space for corporations, organizations and private individuals. ✦ Free bilingual counseling sessions for adults and children ✦ Global cooking classes ✦ Pop-up restaurants and other food events

And, that is just in the first six months.

As we entered the 2013-2014 fiscal year, the Unity Clinic, a primary care clinic operated by United Neighborhood Health Services, which will see 25 patients a day, opened in October. Also, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and the American Muslim Advisory Council moved into Casa Azafrán in the late summer of 2013, bringing the total number of resident partners to 10. (**Please see Page 3 for the complete list of partners.)

CULTURALLY INTER-LACED NASHVILLE When the center opened in December 2012, the Nashville Scene proclaimed “At Casa Azafrán's grand opening, the culturally interlaced Nashville of the future arrives early.”

Casa Azafrán represents an unprecedented private/public investment in South Nashville by private individuals, foundations, corporations and government entities. The 10 nonprofit groups that call Casa Azafrán home share affordable space and reach out to each other to coordinate services to immigrants, refugees and the Nashville community.

By June 30, 2013, Conexión Américas has raised $3,120,000 million toward the capital campaign for Casa Azafrán, with $1.4 million coming from the federal and local government for small business and economic development. The largest individual investment in Casa Azafrán comes from Mr. Bill Freeman, who donated $100,000.

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN The Mesa Komal commercial kitchen has been instantly popular with food entrepreneurs, food truck owners, caterers and wholesale food producers. By June, the end of the fiscal year covered by this report, we have indication that the kitchen is already at near capacity. You can find a full list of current kitchen members at MesaKomal.org

In October, the Nashville Scene named Mesa Komal the “Best New Resource for Culinary Start-ups” in the 2013 Best of Nashville, saying “Mesa Komal is a gorgeous commercial kitchen available for catering, cooking classes, and other food-related enterprises. A busy community calendar includes canning workshops, pop-up brunches and supper clubs celebrating international culture, and budding immigrant entrepreneurs can find resources similar to those bringing such hopeful results at the Nashville Farmers’ Market.”

It has been our pleasure not only to watch food entrepreneurs grow and expand their businesses, but to see Nashvillians come together in the kitchen, to cook, share and enjoy the cuisines and traditions of new Americans. (Read more about Mesa Komal on page 4.)

IMMIGRATION REFORM In June 2013, Tennessee’s U.S. Senators, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, voted in favor of a bipartisan immigration reform bill that, thanks to their key votes, was approved in the senate. We applauded our lawmakers for their courage and wisdom to fix our broken immigration laws. We continue to work toward having our voices be heard in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Conexión Américas continues to advocate for immigration reform and work toward creating a Nashville that is welcoming, so that all Nashvillians can experience the friendship and community we are privileged to enjoy at Casa Azafrán each day,

Best Places to Work Award Conexión Américas was named to the Best Places to Work, Class of 2013, presented by the Nashville Business Journal. The award is based on anonymous surveys of the staff, who were asked to measure 10 key engagement categories, including team effectiveness, trust in senior leaders and manager effectiveness.

Casa Azafrán Resident Partners American Center for Outreach Information, education and empowerment of the Muslim community American Muslim Advisory Council Bridge between Tennessee Muslims and local government and private agencies Conexión Américas (Lead Partner) Programs and advocacy promoting the social, economic and civic integration of Latino families Family and Children’s Service Culturally competent mental health counseling services for children and adults Financial Empowerment Center Free bilingual, one-on-one financial counseling Global Education Center Global and traditional dance, music and arts for all ages Justice for Our Neighbors Immigration legal services for lowincome immigrants Mesa Komal Commercial Kitchen A program of Conexión Américas, the kitchen incubates new food entrepreneurs and helps others grow and expand their food businesses Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Immigrants, refugees and allies advocating for a Welcoming Tennessee for all

Padres Comprometidos 226 Latino parents participated in Parents as Partners program at 6 different schools. Those parents represent 678 children enrolled in a Metro Public School.

My Roots Art Project And while parents attended Padres Comprometidos workshops, more than 170 Latino young people, ages 3 to 17, explored issues of identify and self-esteem through the arts during the 2012-2013 school year.

United Neighborhood Health Services Unity Clinic, primary health care care for low-income families YWCA Girls, Inc. after-school program for middle school students

m e s a

Carlos Davis and BJ of Fine Street Food

Spanish for

“t a b l e”

k o m a l Kurdish for “c o m m u n i t y ”

c o m a l

Spanish for “griddle”

The Churro Queens, Brenda and María.

“Best new resource for culinary start-ups” Best of Nashville 2013 Nashville Scene

Learn more, connect!

THE COMMUNITY’S TABLE We chose the name Mesa Komal as a banner for our kitchen, to capture the spirit of vital immigrant and refugee communities in Nashville and send the strong message: Everyone is welcome at the table. The kitchen brings us together, creates community and fosters connections.

The goal of Mesa Komal, a new program of Conexión Américas, is to support food entrepreneurs with the infrastructure and technical assistance needed to start and grow their business.

The need for the kitchen was made obvious to us as we heard the needs expressed by small food businesses who could not find easily affordable or convenient commercial kitchen space in Nashville.

Mesa Komal is certified by the Metro Health Department for licensed use by caterers and food producers who sell unpackaged food directly to customers. It also is certified by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for the production and packaging of retail and wholesale food products.

Visit CasaAzafran.org to find an up-to-date calendar of events, classes and programs such as: ✦ Music, dance, art classes for adults and children ✦ Pop-up restaurants ✦ Global cooking classes ✦ Free documentary screenings ✦ Event rental info ✦ Partner news

FIRST SUMMER INTERNSHIP AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Conexión Américas created and hosted its first Summer Internship and Leadership Program in June 2013. The five students were rising Seniors or recent high school graduates and first-generation Latino Nashvillians.

“It was more than just work: We made family, we made friends and we made adventures too.

In their month at Conexión Américas, the interns:

The lesson I learned is that being different isn’t a bad thing; it has its positive sides.

I don’t need to hide myself, I don’t have to try and be like everyone else. I am who I am and I can be proud of being Mexican-American. And now when I’m with all these other students, I’m going to stand out, I’m going to succeed, and I won’t hide behind anyone ever again.”

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Were paired with a staff member and worked on a project for several hours a week.

Practiced public speaking.

Learned to give an elevator speech about their “pretend” nonprofit job and the nonprofit’s mission.

Participated in mock interviews with Conexión Américas staff and an entrepreneurship challenge.

Met Latino professionals from all walks of life, ranging from real estate developers, business owners, restauranteurs, graduate students, college professors and corporate financial managers.

Heard a variety of life experiences and motivational messages, which ranged from “trust the process; have faith” to “set small, achievable goals” to “you set your own limitations in your mind” to “being bicultural is being unique.”

OTHER YOUTH SERVICES We continued our partnership with Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) to help 251 Latino youth, ages 15 to 31 and their families access information and case management services to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

– Miriam

Supporting the immigrant entrepreneurial spirit Seventy-nine (79) men and women graduated from the Spanish-language small business education course, Negocio Próspero (Prosperous Business), between July 2012 and April 2013. With a 90% retention rate, and an average wait-list of 10 students per semester, the 9-week course teaches basic skills and knowledge to start a new business or grow an existing enterprise.

Taught by experts in their field, the topics focus on things such as financial education, accounting, taxes, insurance, permits, contracts, marketing and public relations.

The types of businesses that aspiring entrepreneurs are most interested in include: •Cleaning services •Landscaping •Construction •Beauty services •Child care •Arts and crafts •Catering and restaurant

Debunking the Myth: Paying Taxes

258 Latino workers increased their understanding of their responsibilities as taxpayers and filed their family’s tax return through our free tax-preparation service in 2013.

Conexión Américas in Antioch: Family Resource Center at Cole Elementary

Our Cole Elementary Family Resource Center, funded by United Way of Metro Nashville, strengthens and empower families through access to resources and parent education. The center, in operation since 2009, is available to families of Cole Elementary students and the surrounding community and experiencing phenomenal growth and success.

HIGHLIGHTS ✦ A group of Belmont University seniors partnered with Conexión Américas and designed a school garden with the help of Cole parents, Tools for Schools, and United Way volunteers. The summer harvest included cilantro, lettuce, pumpkins, basil, summer squash. The 4th-grade science lab now tends the garden.

✦ 20 parents graduated from Parents as Partners in the fall session. They learned how to help their young children learn at home and prepare them for kindergarten. They grew not only in knowledge of the school system, but also in friendship and self-confidence.

✦ More than 100 parents registered for English classes, which are taught by dedicated volunteers like Ellen Tighe, pictured below.

✦ The YWCA hosts a support group for Latina women, who get to talk with a bilingual counselor once a week in a safe place. ✦ The FRC Parent Advisory Council meets about once a month and has empowered parents to become leaders at the school.

✦ For the third semester in a row, the University of Tennessee Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP) held 6-week Nutrition Classes

✦ Cole Elementary is now a Community Achieves school, and the work of the FRC supports the goals of the schools to ensure school success for every child.

OUTREACH

5 5 ,1 2 9 Latino individuals in Middle Tennessee have learned about the dangers of drinking and driving through our awareness campaign, funded by the Governor’s Highway Safety Office.

“Manejar borracho?

No seas tonto, muchacho!”

English classes expanded, serve many more immigrants and refugees Before the December 2012 move to Casa Azafrán, Conexión Américas offered English as a Second Language classes only at Cole Elementary, where we run a United Way Family Resource Center.

With beautiful classroom space available, and demand escalating, free ESL classes were expanded and offered at Casa Azafrán. Two classes are held in the mornings and two in the evenings. Free childcare, which makes attendance possible for many participants, is offered. Participants have been from Latin America, Spain, Egypt and Japan.

In total, the volunteer-led program held at Casa Azafrán and Cole Elementary reached 77 Latino adults each week.

Beth Hopkins, pictured center left, who has been teaching ESL at Casa Azafrán, says: “My students are eager to learn because English is a great social and professional tool for them. They do have a hard time, not only because English is difficult, but because they all work and have families, and taking a language class on top of that is difficult. However, whenever my students are there, they are there with a smile and ready to participate.”

AT&T Bank of America Baptist Healing Trust Barrett Johnston, LLC Bass, Berry & Sims Belmont University Bone McAllester Norton

Joe C. Davis Foundation JP Morgan Chase Lipscomb University LiUNA! Southeast Laborers' District Council Louisiana Pacific McNeely Pigott & Fox

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings

Metro Arts Commission

Bridgestone Americas

Metro Nashville Airport Authority

Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund Caterpillar Financial Services Dollar General Corporation Dollar General Literacy Foundation Fifth Third Bank First Tennessee Bank

Nashville Convention & Visitor's Bureau Nashville Electric Service Nashville Predators Foundation National Association For Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB)

HCA/TriStar Health

National Council of La Raza (NCLR)

Hispanic Heritage Foundation/NFL

Nissan North America Pinnacle Financial Partners

Regions Bank Scarlett Family Foundation Second Presbyterian Church Skanska SouthComm Southwest Airlines State Farm Target Tennessee Arts Commission Tennessee Valley Authority The Cal Turner Family Foundation The Dorothy Cate and Thomas F. Frist Foundation The Frist Foundation The HCA Foundation The Melkus Foundation The Memorial Foundation United Healthcare Vanderbilt University Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis

Gracias to our supporters for making it all possible

Avenue Bank

Jackson National Life Insurance Company

Executive Committee Stephen Zralek, President Bone McAllester Norton

Our mission is to help Latino families realize their aspirations for social and economic advancement by promoting their integration into the Middle Tennessee community.

Virginia “Gini” Pupo-Walker, Vice President Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Scott Tift, Secretary Barrett Johnston, LLC Thomas Negri, Treasurer Metro Human Relations Commission Terry Maroney, At-Large Vanderbilt University Law School David Esquivel, Immediate Past President Bass, Berry & Sims PLC Board Members Adriana Bialostozky Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital Shirley Borloz Guerrero Community Volunteer Katharine Donato Vanderbilt University Ana Escobar Metropolitan Clerk’s Office Carrington Fox Freelance Journalist Nicole Maynard JP Morgan Chase

FAST FACTS For more details and financial information about Conexión Américas, visit Giving Matters: http://bit.ly/PQD6JA

LOCATED AT THE CASA AZAFRÁN COMMUNITY CENTER (615)

2195 Nolensville Pike | Nashville, TN 37211 320-5152 | En Español (615) 269-6900 info@conamericas.com conexionamericas.org

J.C. Mendez HCA, Inc. Eduardo Minardi Bridgestone Americas, Inc. José “Pepe” Núñez Caterpillar Financial Services Liliana Rodríguez Hispanic Council Mark Tobin Louisiana Pacific Corporation Lisa Quigley Office of U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper