“I think these awards are really important because the Latino community in Bloomington has been steadily growing for some years now, and there is a lot of volunteer work that members of the community do,” Arceli Gómez-Aldana, the City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department Latino outreach coordinator, said.
The awards ceremony, which has taken place for the last four years, presents four awards to Bloomington residents and businesses.
The Latino Leader Award is for a Latino adult in the city who works to ensure the Latino community has support and access to resources.
The Latino Community Supporter Award goes to a person who is not Latino but works to advocate for the Latino community in ?Bloomington.
“This one is important because it lets the community know that work is being done and not only by Latinos,” Gómez-Aldana said. “This is a goal we can all work together to reach.”
The Outstanding Latino High School Senior Award goes to a Latino community member who recently graduated high school with exceptional grades.
“It’s really great because on the day of the awards, you can see the other students looking up to the person who is receiving the award,” Gómez-Aldana said. “Latino parents really focus on education, especially with their children. So this is something that really motivates younger students.”
In addition to the award for an outstanding senior, the commission presents medals to young Latino community members as they graduate from fifth grade and as they graduate from eighth grade.
The last award, the Community Organization/Agency Award, goes to a business or organization with a strong focus on Latinos and their growth in the community by providing resources for them. Habitat for Humanity is a past recipient of this award, as is the Monroe County Public Library.
Nominations for the various recognitions are due by Aug. 14 and the awards will be presented at a ceremony Sept. 15.
Gómez-Aldana said the Outstanding Senior Award and the Latino Leader Award are older and thus receive the bulk of the nominations. She said the commission is looking forward to seeing the number of nominations grow as the city’s Latino population grows and tawareness is raised about the program.
“There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done with things like providing bilingual services and just everyday things,” Gómez-Aldana said. “The people that receive these awards are people who are trying to make sure that the Latino community has all the resources they need and potentially in their own language too.”
