Hello dear reader, We hope you’re enjoying the beautiful fall season! This past summer was a busy and rewarding time for us. We had the opportunity to expand our initiatives through collaborations with various agencies and organizations, all aimed at benefiting the Latine community. We’re thrilled to share that we achieved many successes and heard inspiring stories from participants that motivate us and reinforce the importance of promoting healthy family systems. Join us in this newsletter to catch up on our latest accomplishments and news. Don’t miss out! |
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A NEW INITIATIVE TO HEAL THROUGH DANCE AND MOVEMENT |
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BAILANDO EL CORAZÓN (DANCING THE HEART) This summer, through Bailando el Corazón, we offered a series of free dance sessions in Spanish for UNIDOS clients and the broader community. Our initiative aims to diversify healing spaces by promoting movement and dance as means to connect with our emotions and enhance community healing. |
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For five consecutive weekends, the classes were held at various locations in Madison, exploring different dance genres and movement techniques to foster a deeper connection with the body. The classes offered included: |
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We extend our gratitude to all the instructors for sharing their love and passion for dancing and movement, as well as for emphasizing the importance of acknowledging how our bodies are connected to our emotions, stories, and cultural contexts. A heartfelt thank you to all the participants who attended the classes to connect with themselves and the community! |
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EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH THE CONTROL OF THEIR FINANCES |
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This fall, we launched a pilot program focused on financial literacy for Spanish-speaking women. In collaboration with UW Credit Union, Workers Justice, and the Latino Chamber of Commerce, we offered a series of five classes covering essential topics such as "How to Start Your Business" and "Understanding pay stubs". The community's response was positive, highlighting a strong need for ongoing financial education. We recognize the importance of continuing this program and expanding our curriculum to provide participants with the tools, information, and resources they need to cultivate a healthy relationship with money. |
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This program was made possible thanks to the Madison Community Foundation's A Fund for Women grant. |
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CONNECTING FAMILIES THROUGH NATURE |
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This summer, we have been working together with Roots 4 Change (R4C), the first immigrant marketing cooperative in Dane County focusing on health. One of our projects was organizing an experiential activity with horses for families, allowing them to take a break from their routine. Families and staff from UNIDOS and R4C enjoyed a full day in nature, learning coping stress mechanisms and self-regulating techniques and appreciating the beauty and serenity of horses at SnapDragon Farm & Stables. This activity was made possible thanks to the support of Violence Prevention Public Health of Madison and Dane County. |
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We recently started our fall-winter support groups for women and men. Our groups provide safe, supportive, and confidential spaces where participants can share their experiences without fear of judgment. We extend our gratitude to RISE for co-leading the support group for men and to the PIE Grant Program of the Dane County Office for Equity and Inclusion, the funder of this program. |
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UNIDOS RADIO PROGRAM UNIDOS presents a bi-monthly radio program on La Movida. In the August program, we had the pleasure of hosting Veronica Ibarra, Lead Case Manager at Project Respect, and Andrea Erickson, Victim Witness Coordinator at U.S. Attorney's Office as our guests. Together, we tackled a crucial topic: "Human trafficking". If you missed the program, you can listen to the full recording by clicking here. Don’t miss our October Radio Program! Our legal team will be discussing restraining orders in Wisconsin. |
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UNIDOS welcomes Lourdes Shanjani to our board! |
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Dr. Lourdes Shanjani is a bilingual and bi-cultural International Medical Graduate with a Medical Degree from Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. She holds a Master of Science in Health Sciences, focusing on Health Education and Public Health. With over a decade of experience serving under-served communities in the U.S. and the Caribbean, she excels in providing direct services and managing programs for immigrant populations. Currently, she is the Bilingual Health Education Coordinator at Public Health Madison and Dane County, leading efforts to address community health needs. Welcome, Dr. Shanjani! We’re thrilled to have you on the board and look forward to delving into your insights and expertise to enhance our mission! |
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We want to take a moment to express our gratitude to our funders who have been supporting our work to continue providing free programs and services to the community. In this newsletter, we would like to give a shout-out to: |
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This month, we will host and be part of various activities, including resource fairs where we will share information about our programs and services. We will also have community artistic events to reflect on and generate dialogue about this crucial topic. Check out our activity calendar and get involved! Your participation is essential to raising awareness and promoting positive change in our community. |
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