Don't you know who i am?? Where's my diet coke?

So this morning my cell phone was a buzz because apparently i had ended up in today's paper and last night's news! i can't find the video from last night's news but beow is the article.:


Latino groups unite to form aid coalition
Impending citizenship an issue
By JOSHUA NORMAN
jdnorman@sunherald.com

BILOXI - The Hispanic Outreach Coalition is young, but that is not stopping its members from trying to make a broad impact immediately.

Formed by nearly two dozen faith-based, nonprofit or governmental organizations that provide services specifically for the Latino community, the coalition met for the second time Tuesday afternoon in Biloxi.

The gathering of representatives from a diverse group of organizations seemed to hit the ground running. Members said that was exactly why the coalition was formed.

"We realized we were complementing each other's work," said Linda Miranda of the Hispanic/Latino Ministries of the United Methodist Church.

Andy Guerra, president of the Gulf Coast Latin American Association, said a coalition suddenly seemed like the right thing to do late last year when it came together, especially in light of the explosion in size of the Latino community on the Coast.

"We don't want to reinvent the wheel," said Guerra, adding there is a real effort to not duplicate work. "I hope the word goes out that there are organizations that cater to the Latino community. The Latino community is very limited on resources."

There is no coalition chair, or board of directors for that matter, but there may be in the future as the group figures out what its overall usefulness is, Guerra said.

At the meeting, coalition members took turns leading the discussion on everything from planning for a summer camp for Latino kids via the Minnesota Lutheran Social Services to organizing a large health fair and Cinco de Mayo festival.

The festival, scheduled for May 5 in Hiller Park in Biloxi, is being planned to not only offer health information and some medical services but also to display Latino culture from across Latin America.

Coalition members said they hoped the festival would both provide services for Latinos and provide the Coast an introduction to the variety of Latino cultures here.

"Hopefully they want to come because it'll be so much fun," said Sally Bevill, pastor at Beauvoir United Methodist Church.

The possibility that many Latino immigrants may be offered citizenship with the new Democratic legislature in Washington, and a supportive President George Bush, was also discussed.

"People need to be ready," said Mary Townsend with the Hispanic/Latino Ministries of the United Methodist Church. "There will be thousands and thousands of people who will qualify here in Mississippi alone."

Townsend and Bevill said the coalition's main concern should be the predators and unscrupulous people who will offer fraudulent advice on how to become citizens.

"We have already heard of attorneys charging $800 to $1,000 to get them on 'reserved lists'

" that do not actually exist, Bevill said.

"We don't want to reinvent the wheel. I hope the word goes out that there are organizations that cater to the Latino community.

The Latino community is very limited on resources."

Andy Guerra, president, Gulf Coast Latin American Association