Our Feature on AmeriCorps Highlight
We have had the privilege with partnering up with AmeriCorps- Mesa United Way this past year and met our wonderful new Office Assistant, Daniela! We can’t be any happier with her and all she is contributing to Cultural Coalition.
Read below the AmeriCorps Highlight they wrote for their newsletter sent worldwide!
Our AmeriCorps Site Monthly Highlight for January is Cultural Coalition, Inc. Cultural Coalition is a nonprofit organization that promotes community engagement through cultural programs dedicated to the education, promotion, and development of Indigenous artists in Arizona. They organized Día de Los Muertos programs for over 30 years, as well as hosting festivals and events that tell universal stories, involve theater, and showcase musical performances. Cultural Coalition values the indigenous community with culturally relevant, family-friendly programs that address diverse traditions and foster multicultural understanding.
Cultural Coalition appreciates local artists who are passionate about their crafts and are dedicated to keeping the cultural identity alive in the community. They also manage an after school art program for children in nearby low-income housing. Here, children get help with homework, are taught by artists, and are introduced to different art forms. Along with this, Cultural Coalition has many other programs to help children learn about art, music, and culture.
The Executive Director, Carmen Guerrero, is also an artist and jewelry designer. Not only does Carmen value the talented artists throughout Arizona, but she also enjoys the smiles on children’s faces. She knows that Cultural Coalition makes a positive impact on others, especially when parents explain how well their children are performing in school. Carmen believes that Cultural Coalition raises beautiful souls who become introduced to the arts. She says that “passion guides development”, which is evident at Cultural Coalition. She also values partners like Mesa United Way and AmeriCorps, as they are able to learn and grow with one another.
Cultural Coalition has an upcoming festival, Mask Alive! Festival of Masks, which is happening on Sunday, March 29th from 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM at Pioneer Park. You can learn more about Cultural Coalition, their programs, events, and artists at: culturalcoalition.com
| AmeriCorps Member Monthly Highlight! |
| Daniela Pena Our AmeriCorps Member Monthly Highlight for January is Daniela Pena. Daniela has been an AmeriCorps member since November of 2019 foCultural Coalition. She is their first, and currently their only, AmeriCorps member! How exciting is that? She serves up to 20 hours a week and will complete her first year-long AmeriCorps term by the end of August. At Cultural Coalition, Daniela serves as the Office Assistant, reminding staff about upcoming deadlines, meetings, and events. With her six-year business and finance employment background, Daniela is aware of how to keep everyone in-line. For Daniela, coming from an environment of being surrounded by auditors to now being around artists is what she describes as a well-needed shift. She has never been a part of a nonprofit organization before, and now that she has, she appreciates how they operate and positively impact lives. Daniela loves seeing children create art during the after school program, which is absolutely life-changing, especially when they start to remember her name. She never knew that a place like Cultural Coalition existed and she is so grateful that it does. She values its mission and how it helps embrace diversity, art, music, and education in her community. Daniela loves what AmeriCorps offers to aspiring servant-leaders like her. She refers to AmeriCorps as a “resource dispatcher”, as it assigns appropriate skills to the sites who need them the most. Daniela is excited to continue the year with AmeriCorps, participate in more Service Days like JaKelle’s Christmas Box, and grow with the Cultural Coalition team. |