Ibero-American Action League, a dual-language non-profit that serves the Latino community in Rochester, announced on Friday that they are merging with a similar organization in the eastern part of New York state.
Ibero and Centro Civico, in Amsterdam, New York, offer similar community services for a growing Latino community in upstate New York. That includes housing placement, job support, and childhood development programs.
“We find deep comfort in protecting our legacy and commitment to the growing Latino community during these unprecedented and challenging times,” said Angelica Perez-Delgado, President and CEO of Ibero in a statement.
Thousands who were displaced from Puerto Rico after hurricanes Irma and Maria, and more recent earthquakes, have used both organization’s services.
“To come here and now be in isolation it’s terrible,” said Alberto Beltran, a program director with Centro Civico. “The community resources and agencies like ours are very important to give them some comfort even if it’s on the phone.”
Ibero, with nearly 300 employees, has an annual operating budget of about $14,000,000. The merger is funded in part by United Way. Beltran said that it will help upstate Latino communities thrive in a moment of great uncertainty during the pandemic. Particularly for those who have recently uprooted from Puerto Rico.
Latinos make up about sixty percent of Amsterdam, NY’s population, where Centro Civico is located, said Beltran. The most pressing need at the moment, he said, is remote learning support for bilingual families.
