Welcome
Bienvenido a Creciendo Juntos (CJ)!
As many have observed and as census data confirms, Charlottesville and Central Virginia as a whole are experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of Latino/Hispanic households, and this has challenged service providers in the areas of education, health, housing, and public safety, among many others. At the same time, area businesses, consumers, and residents have seen the positive benefits from the presence of new Latino/Hispano workers, customers, businesses, and neighbors. Many individuals and organizations in the region want to ensure that the immigrant and non-immigrant communities continue to integrate, grow together, and celebrate the diversity of talents, experiences, and histories that all residents bring to the entire community.
In May 2005, the Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA), a regional non-profit based in Charlottesville, Virginia, organized a meeting to explore ongoing efforts to better understand the needs and interests of the growing Latino/Hispanic community. Members of the Latino/Hispanic community and representatives from area governmental, non-profit, and faith-based organizations attended. The result of this first meeting was the formation of “Creciendo Juntos (CJ). CJ’s mission statement reads: “We are a network of organizations and people working to support and strengthen the Charlottesville regional community through the integration and development of its Latino/Hispanic members.” CJ’s goals include:
- Providing education, information and resources for service providers working with Latinos.
- Improving access and availability of services for Latino residents.
- Providing community education and raise awareness of the contributions of local Latinos.
A from April 2007 provides a glimpse of what CJ looked like two years after its founding. Since then, well over 100 different agencies and other institutions have become regularly involved with CJ, as represented by the 200+ agency staff members and individuals that have participated in CJ meetings and activities. Most members are bilingual (English/Spanish) and are directly involved with members of the Latino/Hispanic community because of their nationality and/or work. Participating organizations reflect the many distinct sectors of society, including: health, housing, the media, business, legal, the University of Virginia, local and regional planning offices, public safety, education, public transportation, social services, churches, chambers of commerce, and real estate, among others. The CJ listserv, which circulates CJ’s monthly newsletter and calendar to over 700 recipients, provides information for, from and about these service providers and to the local media.
CJ exists as a network dedicated to building knowledge, sharing information, and seeking ways to collaborate and integrate across cultural divides. As such, CJ is every person and initiatives in the Charlottesville area working towards these goals.
We hope everyone visiting this website finds it informative and useful, and will seek a way to participate in this effort. For more information contact cj.cville@gmail.com