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Home / Media / ePiñata / March 9, 2017

Letter from HF President: A Call for Unity

I believe that core values bind us together as Americans. These values – diversity, inclusion, empathy, generosity and fairness – are essential to making the American Dream a reality. And although we face difficult times, we will not abandon the values that enable all of us to thrive. The key to protecting our communities and our nation is simple: Unity.

Unidad is the theme of this year’s Spring Gala, to be held on April 20th at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. With the incomparable Lin-Manuel Miranda as our Gala Chair, we’ll proudly celebrate who we are and what we contribute to our great nation. We’ll also bring together activists, allies and key stakeholders who share our values and stand with us by contributing essential support to our amazing network of over 100 Latino community-based organizations.

Funds raised at our gala mean more than ever this year. Every dollar, every voice and every guest represents a vote for the values we fight for. Proceeds will power coalitions and movements that uplift our communities, help Latino youth and Dreamers graduate from college, and strengthen nonprofit organizations that serve hundreds of thousands of children and families. We’ll register more voters, help protect access to health care and fight to help immigrants thrive by defending our national tradition of offering opportunity to all who strive for a better life.

We are thrilled to be honoring Morgan Stanley, a pioneering supporter of or work, with HF's Corporate Leadership Award: world-renowned chef and television star Aaron Sánchez with our Premio Orgullo or Pride Award; the iconic entertainment couple of Gloria and Emilio Estefan with our Legacy Award; and our member agency, the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights, with the Community Service Award. These worthy honorees have made profound contributions to the Latino community, and we are grateful to them for their friendship and leadership.

But most of all, the Gala is about our network of more than 100 Latino grassroots organizations. Funds raised support our Latino CORE Initiative grant-making program. Through this program we provide our Latino nonprofits with grants that strengthen their capacity to protect our communities, enabling hundreds of thousands of children and families to thrive, access their potential and contribute to our nation in countless ways.

Stand with us at this critical moment, and your investment in our work will empower more people and uplift more neighborhoods, towns and communities than ever before. ¡Únete!