UNO’s Office of Latino and Latin American Studies, also known as OLLAS, recently received a $25,000 grant from the Iowa West Foundation.
Lourdes Gouveia, Director of OLLAS, says the funds will be used to help create capacity in Council Bluffs within the Latino community.
She says it is important that these Latinos become more visible and more integrated into various organizations and institutions in their community.
Gouveia says funding will support the hiring of Yesennia Duran, a part-time project coordinator and future community-organizer who will work closely with the Latino Center.
"Her family lives in Pottawattamie County. She went to community college and is now at UNO. We have the hope that she becomes part of that trained leadership with roots and commitment to continue to be part of her community and to have ties in her community in the long run.”
Gouveia says Latinos in Council Bluffs have yet to feel completely integrated into their host community despite the fact they contribute fully in multiple ways.