One West Michigan family will have the opportunity to honor a special woman in their life through a downtown Grand Rapids initiative to recognize the local Latino community.
The Latino Community Coalition is partnering with Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. to activate spaces in downtown to highlight diversity, which started Project HERencia.
The group is looking for nominations of a Latina to dedicate an alleyway off of Grandville and Oakes in downtown.
"To me, that was important to recognize a Latina that was important to our community. She impacted our community and thanks to her... her family was able to accomplish whatever they did, whether it was just to live happy lives or do big things in our community," Steering Committee Member Sergio Cira Reyes says.
The coalition is taking nominations through the end of July who have passed away and made an impact on those around them while starting roots in the Grand Rapids area.
"For me, this project has a big value and a lot of significance, because growing up, there was a lot of women in our neighborhood that are no longer with us," Steering Committee Member Veronica Quintino-Aranda says. "That played a big part in me and who I am."
Nominations can be filled out in English and Spanish both online and in person, at the following locations:
- The Other Way Ministries, 710 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
- Hispanic Center of West Michigan, 1204 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
- Latina Network of West Michigan, (773) 234-8577
- La Casa de la Cobija, 2355 Division Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
- Garfield Park Neighborhood Association, 334 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids
- Isabel Media Studios, 818 Butterworth St. SW, Suite 10, Grand Rapids
- Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities, 644 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
"We also understand the reality of our community is maybe they don't have internet access, or devices, or maybe don't know how to use the computer," Quintino-Aranda says.
The coalition will choose five families from the nominations submitted in early August. The families will be interviewed, and videos of those interviews will be created and published online. Then, the public will be able to watch the videos and choose the woman who the alleyway will be dedicated to.
The end product of the alleyway is still undecided as to how it will be dedicated and decorated. Reyes says it could involve a mural or interactive QR codes for online education of the final nominees.
"We want her story to inspire us to see what this alley will look like," Quintino-Aranda says.
The goal of this project is to also collect stories of the Latino community in Grand Rapids to put in the Cook Library Center.
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