Detroit’s Latino community received a $1 million donation from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Dec. 1, 2011 as part of an initiative to create a stronger structure and stability in the Southwest Detroit area. Among the six Latino-led organizations that came together to apply for the grant and build the Latino agenda, three serve on the board of the Detroit URC. They are Community Health and Social Services Center, Detroit Hispanice Development Corporation and Latino Family Services.

This was the first time that the Consortium of Hispanic Agencies in Southwest Detroit directly received a largeamount of funding from a non-profit organization, according to Norman Bent, executive director of the CHA.

When asked what issues the Latino community faces, Bent narrowed them down to seven: “education, immigration, city and political engagement, youth violence, health and environmental justice, economic development and sexual orientation and identity.”

Although each issue is important and also resides with other minority communities, Bent said, a lack of education is the major culprit.

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