This new school year comes loaded with great news, making us proud of who we are. After twenty years of serving the Latine community, our commitment to empowering Latine women through education, enterprise, and leadership is more alive than ever. We continue to grow as a team, expanding our programs and looking for new tools and resources to continue positively impacting the lives of our participants.

Read on the see what's new this school year inside our Education Programs at Adelante Mujeres!

Five years ago, our Health Equity team realized that Latine community members living in Washington County needed better access to health resources. This is how our Promotores de Salud initiative at Adelante Mujeres began. As our staff and volunteers came together last month to celebrate this anniversary, we’ve been reflecting on how the initiative has grown in the past five years and the impact it’s had.

See photos and videos from this year’s Fiesta of Hope!

On May Day, Adelante Mujeres participated in the International Workers Day, where immigrant workers are celebrated and commemorated. This May Day event gathered 400 people in front of the Salem Capital to celebrate immigrant rights legislative wins and advocate for comprehensive immigration reform.

Adelante Mujeres typically holds four preschool graduation ceremonies per year for our Early Childhood Education Program. However, due to the pandemic, graduation ceremonies were put on hold for the past two years, thus making this year's celebrations "extra special."

Imagine a world where children, parents, and teachers have solid and compassionate relationships; where parents recognize the value of being involved in their children's education as an essential factor for their kids' successful development of cognitive and social skills. This vision inspired our Family Engagement Program to adopt the Parents and Children Together (PACT) sessions as a part of the curriculum.

During the 2021-2022 school year, the Chicas Program Youth Development Program was active at 27 schools throughout Washington County and served over 600 Latina/x youth. Get a glimpse at this year’s accomplishments and see what’s happening this summer!

In a small ceremony at a local park, women enthusiastically cheered for one another and many gave powerful speeches about the impact that the classes had on their life this year. These women proved that no matter your age, it’s never too late to invest in yourself.

Through art, dance, the written word, and community, we celebrated our cultural heritage and women from around the globe this International Women’s Day.

“If our voices aren’t represented, other people will speak for us.” Hear from our Leadership & Advocacy team to see how they are empowering Latina women to make their voices heard at the Oregon State Capital.

"Anniversaries are always important, but the first year is exceptionally important.” As Casa Qui celebrated its one year anniversary in December, hear from some of the vendors as they reflect on the past year at Casa Qui.

From a relentless pandemic, to racial injustices, to extreme heat waves, 2021 threw challenges at us from every direction. But, together, one step at a time, we’ve faced these challenges head on. Here are a few highlights from the past year at Adelante Mujeres.

Like many first-generation students, Jennifer’s college experience has had its challenges. “Since I was taking some science classes, I felt alone and wondered if I should be there, or if I should change my major to something easier,” says Jennifer.

This past month, across that nation, Latine people were celebrated and praised for their contributions to this nation. Yet, we continue to see the disparities among our community. There is still work to be done.

Adelante Mujeres is committed to making healthy food accessible for the whole community. In the 2021 farmers market season, $52,440 was distributed in Fresh Food Relief Vouchers.

In Mexico, where she is originally from, she studied business. So, when she got a knock at her door offering her a job in housekeeping, it was a change she had to embrace openly. She remembers cleaning wealthy homes on her hands and knees and an overwhelming feeling of “there has to be more to this country”.

“I was trying to figure life out...trying to figure myself out...trying to put everything back together again.” After her marriage ended, Olga was determined to carve out a life that she loved, and building a business was at the forefront of her mind.

We welcomed a couple of extra special guests to our building today. In early September, Washington County became the first county in Oregon to vaccinate 80% of its adults. To celebrate this accomplishment, and to see the grassroots vaccination efforts in action, Governor Kate Brown and Chair of Washington County, Kathryn Harrington, visited Adelante Mujeres during a mobile vaccination event.

Trusted community advocates are invaluable, especially when recognizing the past trauma individuals might have experienced with government agencies or in the healthcare system. Through coalition building Promotores and Navegadoras have been able to advocate for immigrant rights at the County level and health equity at the community level.

When on the topic of female empowerment, Milka wanted to make one thing clear: Women can. “Yes, yes, we can. It’s just a matter of taking that first step and continue moving forward”. She describes Adelante Mujeres as the complete package. “They have the tools to allow people to reach their goals. It’s like, ‘Okay, I feel empowered now, I can reach my goals’”.