Organization Details:

CLILA (Coalición De Líderes Latinos/Coalition Of Latino Leaders)

• Organization’s Mission

1. CLILA’ s mission is to develop competent, caring Latino grassroots leadership, with a variety of skills necessary to address the critical issues that challenge the Northwest Georgia Latino community.
2. Encourage members of the Latino community in Northwest Georgia to engage in civic activities and to participate in the political process, by voter registration, voter education and participation, and citizenship education and process.
3. Empower Latinos in Northwest Georgia to participate in field advocacy activities at federal, state and local levels to advance legislation on key issues.
4. Be an honest voice for the local Latino community.

Description:
Services we offer:
o Latino Community Leadership Institute in Spanish; in collaboration with GALEO and UGA Fanning Institute.
o Weekly citizenship classes to help community members understand how to better assimilate to US
o Monthly parent education trainings on how to help their children to stay away from trouble, how the US system works and how to adapt better to this country
o US government and History education for eligible legal residents, to help them to be prepared for their citizenship test.
o Provide weekly English classes for beginners, for people who feel they need to learn at their own pace.
o Legislative updates on issues affecting Latinos
o Advocacy with local, state, and federal legislators.
o Workshops about “How to Start Your Own Business”, in collaboration with other Latino organizations devoted to economic development.
o Hands-on workshop to help prospective Latino entrepreneurs to register their small business with the Secretary of State, and to advise them on how to get the appropriate city or county permits.
o Voter registration campaigns and education meetings on local, state and federal candidates
o Citizenship Drives- Every two months
o Referrals to community resources



History:
• History of our Organization

• May 2006, started voter registration campaign for Dalton city, Whitfield and Murray counties; from May to October we registered 130 people. It was the first time this number of Latinos were registered in Northwest Georgia in the same year. We were featured by the Associated Press in regards this effort.

• August 2006, organized a press conference in Dalton one day before the “field hearings”, where republican representatives were promoting anti-immigrant legislation before the elections.

• August 2006, with NCLR help, helped to coordinate the appearance of representative Hilda Solis during the ‘field hearing” to balance the testimonies.

• From August 2006-December 2006- hold a daily radio program to encourage Latinos to vote, to apply for citizenship. Also provided legislative updates on issues affecting Latinos, encouraging community involvement

• September 2006, citizenship drive where 43 eligible residents filled out their application to start the process.

• September 2006- Helped in the planning of the Georgia Latino Forum- We’re on the Executive Board as Board Member at Large

• Team Leader for Georgia Latino Vote 2006, 2007 and 2008

• September-October 2006- helped to organize the October march in Atlanta to urge Congress to approve a CIR

• November 2006 and February 2007- In conjunction with the Hispanic Association for Economic Development, from Atlanta, we hold two workshops in Spanish about How to Create your Own Business, in total 60 people attended. Twelve of them started already their businesses.

• From December 2006 to present- we hold a weekly citizenship class, with government and history information, as well as assistance to fill out the application. Up to date we have helped about 25 individuals to be prepared for their citizenship test in those classes; 6 of them are now US citizens; 2 weren’t allowed to present their test.

• December 2006- attended the South East Regional Conference in Atlanta, organized by several organizations and NCLR.

• Hold one of the chair positions to plan the next steps for the South East Regional Conference

• February 2007, received the Incorporation letter from the Secretary of State as Coalicion de Lideres Latinos (CLILA)

• February-May 2007- Provided the first ever Latino Leadership Development Institute in Dalton, 14 people are attending and they will graduate on May 12, 2007.

• March 2007- Attended NCLR National Advocacy Day and met with local and state legislators to discuss Dream Act, CIR, education, health issues

• March 2007-present- Are advocating for 80 undocumented Dalton State College (DSC) students who already are enrolled or almost finishing their degrees, whose careers are in risk, due to a state ordinance starting Fall 2007 they would have to pay out of state tuition because they are undocumented.

• Testified on behalf of these students before the Board of Regents, and also sent a letter to federal legislators from Georgia, with 2115 signatures attached, asking them to support the Dream Act.

• Also we’re helping those students and their supporters to organize and mobilize in order to advocate for themselves. Five clubs, Latinos and non-Latinos from that school have joined to CLILA’s efforts on this.

• March 2007- We’re advocating for these students by sending letters to state and federal representatives on this issue, as well as asking them for their support to the DREAM Act.
• April 2007- We held an Immigration Forum to update the general population on local, state and federal legislation. Georgia has approved SB529 and many other local ordinances that affect all Latinos.

• May 2007- A second Latino Leadership Development Institute in Spanish will be held for 10 sessions of 4 hours.

• May 17, 2007- A workshop on how to start your own business in Spanish, will be conducted, in collaboration with the Hispanic Center for Economic Development.

• May 24, 2007- We’ll hold a concert as a fundraiser for an elementary school with 90% Latino students. The profits will be also for CLILA to start a scholarship fund for Dalton State College undocumented students.

• June 2007- We’ll hold another Immigration Forum to let the Latino population what is SB529, in order to reduce fear and anxiety, and how they can protect themselves.



• August 12, 2007- Forum on Gangs in Spanish to educate parents on gang prevention, in collaboration with Dalton Police Department and other agencies.
  
  
• Sep. 2007- We’ll start our 2nd Latino Leadership Program in Spanish.

• August 2007- We’ll start Parent Involvement Workshops to educate parents on their and their children’s rights in the school system; and to help them organize themselves.

The population CLILA is serving is Dalton City, also Whitfield County and Murray County.



Contact person: America Gruner, President, (phone), (email)

Address:


P.O. Box 2591 Dalton, GA 30722


Web Site: http://www.lidereslatinos.org

Directions:

see mapquest

Last updated on September 13, 2009