Florida-Latinos
Left to right: Jeanne Gunnels, Florida Orlando Coordinating Council communication director; Deacon Gary Tester, president, Catholic Charities of Central Florida; Cónsul de México en Orlando Juan Sabines Guerrero; Elder Daniel P. Amato, Area Seventy, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Maria Trent, Deland Florida Stake communication director, at a meeting in Orlando, Florida, February 7, 2023. Photo courtesy of Jeanne Gunnels, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.
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By Sydney Walker, Church News
Working together with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Catholic Charities, the Mexican consul in Orlando, Florida, hopes to improve education and opportunities for the Latino or Hispanic population in the state — especially women.
On February 7, Mexican Consul in Orlando, Juan Sabines Guerrero, met with Elder Daniel P. Amato, Area Seventy in the Church’s North America Southeast Area, and Deacon Gary Tester from Catholic Charities of Central Florida.
Tester said, “We are blessed to have helped the Latino community, but there is so much more we can do together with our friends from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Elder Amato explained, “We just want to serve. We are all God’s children.”
In the meeting, Sabines talked about how faith is the solution for many of the problems that exist in the community.
”Please come this Saturday to teach English, teach our women how to become secure and confident, teach our people to become self-supporting, independent and trustworthy community,” he said.
On Saturday, February 11, an informational meeting and sign-ups were held for EnglishConnect classes at the Mexican Consulate in Orlando. EnglishConnect is a program provided by the Church to help people increase self-reliance and expand opportunities through learning English. Full-time missionaries from the Florida Orlando Mission will teach the classes in Orlando.
Florida-Latinos
People attend an informational meeting to learn about EnglishConnect classes at the Mexican Consulate in Orlando, Florida, on February 11, 2023. Photo courtesy of Jeanne Gunnels, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.
Next, self-reliance courses from the Church are scheduled to start in March with the help of local stake Relief Society presidents in the Orlando area. Each class will focus on providing support for women in their temporal, emotional/mental, and spiritual needs.
Additional opportunities are being developed to potentially work together with Catholic Charities and the Mexican Consulate in Orlando to address the needs of the Latino community.
Florida-Latino
Volunteers at the sign up table for EnglishConnect classes offered at the Mexican Consulate in Orlando, Florida, February 11, 2023. Photo courtesy of Jeanne Gunnels, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.
Sabines and his staff plan to travel to Catholic Charities to learn of the offerings they can provide, followed by a tour of the Orlando Bishops’ Storehouse and other Church Welfare properties.
As of the 2020 U.S. Census, about 26% of Florida’s population was Hispanic or Latino — and Florida is home to the largest number of temporary, nonimmigrant agricultural workers holding H-2A visas in the U.S.
More than 300 members of the Latino community attend weekly educational classes at the Mexican Consulate in Orlando — learning about things like health, finance, education and women’s issues.
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