Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury

Vidas program: as a ct department of developmental services (dds) certified service provider, the Hispanic Coalition helps individuals with intellectual disability lead fulfilling lives within their communities. Our professional staff is available to assist individuals who live on their own, with their families, or caretakers by placing the needs of the individual first. Individual and family support includes individualized support, services coordination, behavioral support, nursing support, employment support, community resource development, and respite.

Paier college offers workforce oriented educational programs in web application design and mobile application design. Arp funds have been provided to support students who enroll in these programs in the form of scholarships. Students who meet eligibility criteria apply through our non-profit partner, the Hispanic Coalition, to receive awarded funds in these programs. These certificate programs introduce students to necessary coursework and techniques to become proficient front end application developers and application designers, thereby enabling them to become placeable to meet the job market needs in the region. This program helps address several critical issues exacerbated during the covid-19 pandemic in the bridgeport community. Access to quality higher education with a focus on outcomes continues to be too limited among underserved populations. Moreover, employment and career mobility issues have also been barriers for these same communities. By offering accelerated, career-focused programming in an in-demand job market, paier college is helping to educate and place individuals for whom such education may have been inaccessible. With the support of funding through arpa, the programs have been successful to date in addressing these needs and reducing the barriers to entry for certain prospective students.

Waterbury's riba (river baldwin association) aspira addresses the economic and racial/ethnic inequities that have devalued this once vibrant south end neighborhood (river baldwin) by creating a strong, resident-driven, civic infrastructure, realigning/relocating job training services to increase resident access, and revising child care decision making policies to be more equitable insuring adequate access for neighborhood children and families. Focusing on one neighborhood provides an opportunity to advance changes in systems and policies and pilot a resident engagement model that can be replicated in other city neighborhoods.

Case management: our case management team provides a range of services benefiting individuals and families of our community and enhancing their well-being. Case managers serve as liaisons between the community services and their necessities. Individualized plans are created to assess client's needs, follow up on their work plan, tracking their progress towards successfully achieving their goals. We participate in outreach efforts to increase access to the services provided by the agency and create relationships with other providers. Services provided through case management include and are not limited to emergency assistance, immigration proceedings, job placement/training, translation services, housing assistance, advocacy, coordinating medical needs, document completion, and assistance obtaining vital records such as, birth certificates, divorce paperwork and identification cards. We also assist our clients with the application process of federal, state, and local benefits through dss, ssa and other agencies.la casa bienvenida: our programming ensures that Hispanic seniors within the city of Waterbury and surrounding towns have access to socialization while getting necessary nutritional supplements and adequate access to medical and personal needs. La casa bienvenida is structured to provide seniors, personal support, and healthy nutrition in a professionally supervised setting. Our social and recreational programs were established to reduce isolation and promote independent living while reducing premature nursing home placement. Through increased awareness of our resources, dissemination of essential information and guidance on issues affecting our seniors and their caregivers, we enable older adults to live independently and safely. By offering a range of socially stimulating and community-based services we have established a place in which loved ones can socialize with peers to connect emotionally, allowing them to escape loneliness and isolation.youth development: our l.a.c.e. (leadership, athletics, community, education) program is designed with two principals in mind: firstly, socio-economic factors do not need to determine a child's scholastic success. And secondly, healthy relationships are a meaningful way to guide adolescents towards their goals. It is the intention of this program that Waterbury youth foster the skills necessary to promote professional, academic and personal growth through the four pillars of leadership, athletics, community (outreach) and education. The mission is to empower young students to become future leaders and guide them toward their academic goals to gain access to an equitable path to success. In a safe and supportive environment, students are prepared for the challenges that await them upon graduating from high school and how to transform obstacles into successes. Raices: raices purpose is to build a teacher recruitment and preparation program for hispanic/latinx high school students and young adults in the Waterbury community. The program participants will be encouraged to pursue teaching degrees, and to teach in their home community in the Waterbury public schools, establishing the initiative as a "grow our own" teacher diversity project. The initiative will strategically and intentionally mentor, support, and encourage students on the secondary and post-secondary journey to becoming Waterbury professional educators.