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Please click the link to the right to read our Annual Report for 2021.
GRATITUDE FROM OUR PRESIDENT To nuestra comunidad, Sitting here, just on the other side of 2021, I am humbled and inspired by the work we have come together to do to plant the seed that is growing into Mt. Hood Unida. By “we”, I truly mean all of us here in the greater Mount Hood area of Oregon. It took not one village, but all of the villages of Wemme, Welches, Brightwood, Rhododendron, Zigzag, Government Camp, Cherryville and more to begin this new nonprofit that seeks to unite the community by empowering Latinos to thrive. You have joined us in our first six months of celebration of Latinx histories, cultures, contributions and growth. And ¡sí!, did we celebrate at our inaugural Dia de La Independencia celebration on September 19, 2021! Over 150 members of our community enjoyed a day of music, food, makers, crafters, storytelling, dance and more. Better yet, our community raised over $9,000 for the Saul Gallegos Ruiz Scholarship and to continue growing the outreach, programs and services Mt. Hood Unida will offer for years to come. On the morning of this event, the introduction of Mt. Hood Unida to our community, I wrote down the word “comunidad” on a little piece of paper and placed it next to my heart. Because that is how closely we hold community - at our very center, our very core - and that is where we all draw power, from the strength of who we Latinos are. Then, in October, you joined us for a special day of remembrance and love for those who have passed at our Dia de Los Muertos event. Again, the community came to learn about this important Latinx tradition, enjoy fresh and delicious food, and gather in peace and solidarity after nearly two years of grief and solitude. As we wrap up this first year (well, six months of Mt. Hood Unida, to be exact - we launched on July 7, 2021, afterall!), I want to pause and reflect on those two words - “solidarity” and “solitude”. As we look at a horizon line where, all at once, we can see pain in the past, uncertainty in the present and hope in the future, I feel the least alone when I look around at this Latinx community, our mountain community, and the wonderful people who support Mt. Hood Unida in ways big and small. It is with great gratitude that I celebrate our Latinx community on the mountain. Gracias por el 2021, y muchas bendiciones en el 2022. Maria Burke, Presidenta de Mt. Hood Unida |
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