Posted October 02, 2024
Many people strive to give back to the community, whether they volunteer, donate, or work for a specific organization.
Karla Mendez, a Bilingual Therapist and Hispanic Program Coordinator for Lake County started giving back to her community when she came to the United States from Guatemala.
In her home country, Karla was a preschool teacher. To continue teaching in the U.S., she returned to school to receive her bachelor's degree in early childhood education.
“When my children were older, I decided to go back to school and become a schoolteacher over here,” Karla said.
After graduating, Karla started working a lot with people in the Hispanic community.
“I worked with a lot of Hispanics, and most of what I did was educational, but I also did a lot of social work and case management,” Karla said.
Since arriving in the U.S., Karla has been passionate about supporting and giving back to the Hispanic communities.
“Having the opportunity to serve my community, the Hispanics, has been my passion since I moved to the United States,” Karla said.
Starting off as an intern, Karla moved her way up to the position she holds now with Catholic Charities.
Although she could have taken a full-time position elsewhere, she stayed because of the values.
“This organization [really] values what I value: My family, my community, my faith,” Karla said, “and I don’t think I will have that anywhere else.”
Karla can also celebrate and show people her culture with those she works with and serves.
“Being a part of the Hispanic community to me is showing who I am and what my family is,” Karla said.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, Karla celebrates her country's Independence Day in multiple ways.
“We [Karla and her family] celebrate with showing our flag and eating a typical dish... wearing the clothes,” Karla said.
The clothing in Guatemala is very colorful, and the women wear skirts called ‘corte’, which can look different in every state.
“It’s called ‘corte’. It’s a skirt that is very colorful and is different for every state.” Karla said.
She also mentions a soup-like dish called ‘Jocon’.
“It’s made of parsley, cilantro, green peppers, tomatillo, green onions, and chicken,” Karla said.
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for people to learn about and connect with Hispanic cultures and different ways of life.
Karla wants people to know that every Hispanic country is different.
“All the Hispanic countries are so, so different. Guatemala is right beside Mexico, and we are so different.” Karla said, “...we have different clothing, different music. I’m sure that’s the same way for El Salvador or Colombia or Argentina.”
This month, people can learn about the differences in all Hispanic cultures and lifestyles.
“[Hispanic Heritage Month] is just a reminder that there are opportunities to learn about other people...that will encourage everyone to know a little bit more about other countries,” Karla said.
Catholic Charities has been serving those in the Hispanic communities for over 40 years throughout the Greater Cleveland area.
Our bilingual and bicultural staff meets the needs of all Hispanic and Latino individuals living in Cuyahoga and Lake County.
To learn more about our Hispanic programs, click the button below.
Part of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
