La Alianza Hispana
La Alianza Hispana is a social service agency founded in 1969 by residents of Roxbury/ North Dorchester to support Boston’s growing Hispanic population. La Alianza advocates for equal access to services and public resources for the Hispanic Community by combating the effects of discrimination, poverty and challenges of migration.
The organization was created in 1968 by Ana Maria Rodriguez, teacher of English as a Second Language at an elementary school, after observing the impoverished conditions of her Latino students. Since its foundation, its main goals have been to support the needs of Spanish speaking immigrants with a low income -- mainly those that live in Roxbury. In 1970, it became a community-based non-profit organization, funded by Boston's Model Cities Program, and in 1975 La Alianza became a United Way affiliate to diversify funding. In 1981 Nelson Merced became the director of La Alianza, improving the organization's financial standing.
To accomplish its mission goals, La Alianza manages five program areas, serving 5,000 people a year. It has also developed a financial and budget management system in order to keep track of each program’s record of financial activity by conducting monthly computer program based financial reports. Through the Finance Committee, the Agency’s Board of Directors creates policies and supervises staff operations. The organization has collaborative agreements with other institutions such as Roxbury Community College, Project AFRIC and the University of Massachusetts. Although these partnership have influenced and helped disadvantaged and homeless women, none of these address the importance of literacy training to clients. So the adult illiteracy education program through La Alianza Hispana fills a significant gap in services.
La Alianza Hispana is a complex service agency that functions in a decentralized manner. Units that focus on particular topics in order to achieve the organization’s overall goals organize it. The programs are administered under four units: The Youth Center, Counseling and Advocacy, Adult Education, and Mental Health.
Youth Development Unit was established in 1978 with the aim of expanding and focusing on youth programs. Programs have included children's services, recreation, tutoring, and involving Spanish-speaking youth in educating their friends about substance abuse and prevention. There have been different projects that take place throughout the year. One of the most popular ones consisted of the production of a documentary film that included interviews with families, youth in school and clients form the organization. The film is produced and directed by participants under this program. Other activities that are carry out involved adolescent counseling, after school program for youth from 6 to 12 years of age and the prevention program for youth 7 to 21 and other cultural arts activities. Projects such as this provide individuals with culturally relevant material about prevention by spreading it through a popular medium. The use of recreational activities such as karate classes and sports leagues allowed children to develop better relationships with one another and be pro-active. Counseling services for teens increased teens' awareness about health issues such as teen pregnancy and AIDs This program involves three full-time and two part-time Drug Prevention and Recreation Workers.
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