GRESHAM, Ore. — The Portland non-profit Latino Network is in its final stages of fundraising for a new multi-million dollar facility in the Rockwood neighborhood of Gresham. The planned La Plaza Esperanza facility will have a culturally specific preschool, a hub for social events and more resources for the Latino community.
"This is a huge investment in the Gresham community, Rockwood and the east county as a whole," said Tony DeFalco, Executive Director at Latino Network.
"We really started a lot of our programming in the Rockwood neighborhood of Gresham," he said. "So we’ve learned a lot there, we’ve responded to community needs there, and it remains such an important part of our community today where 35% of the community is Latinx."
The 18,000 square foot facility off of Southeast 165th Avenue and Stark Street will cost $21.5 million. Latino Network has raised $16.2 million so far, and the organization hopes to have La Plaza Esperanza up and running by the fall of next year.
"We’re currently asking for the state of Oregon for an additional $4 million in the project," said DeFalco. "And they can make that happen in June of this year as part of the legislative session."
According to Latino Network, about 50,000 Latinos live within a five-mile radius of the new building site, and having a readily accessible facility will be a game-charger to the Latino community.
"I think our number one goal is really making sure we have places that we feel safe in, we feel welcomed in, and [where] we can really thrive as a community," said DeFalco. "And when you don't have that kind of place, you can do it, but it's harder. And with La Plaza, this place of hope, we really see this as not just an opportunity to deliver service but to thrive as a community overall."
DeFlaco said Latino Network will also provide workforce development to get certified as an early childhood development educator, giving the Latino youth a high-quality, bilingual, bicultural education - to thrive in their future goals.