Organización Latino-Americana (OLA) of Eastern Long Island celebrates its 20th year with its signature Pachanga event on Friday, June 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. on the outdoor terrace of the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill. Featuring local favorite Mambo Loco playing “old school” Latin music and a dynamic percussion and musical performance by Mila Tina, Pachanga 2022 will commemorate the organization’s 20 years on the East End.
Founded in 2002, OLA of Eastern Long Island works to create a more equitable East End for Latino immigrants through advocating for just and inclusive government and school policies; protecting families; nurturing power and unity among Latinos through leadership workshops and other programs; and building bridges among different sectors of the East End community through celebrating arts and culture.
“OLA’s growth over 20 years has allowed us to do more than ever not only to serve Latinos but also to provide advocacy, programs, and opportunities that ultimately benefit our entire East End community,” says Executive Director Minerva Perez. “At the heart of our work is the knowledge that a community is only as strong as the sum of its parts. By protecting the rights of and advocating for Latinos, we believe the East End becomes a better, more equitable place for all community members.”
Under Perez’s leadership since February 2016, OLA has gone from being an all-volunteer organization to one that now employs nine core staff members in addition to 10 Project Hope staff members, hired as part of New York State’s Project Hope: Coping with COVID crisis counseling program, a FEMA-funded program that began in early 2021 and is scheduled to end in September of this year. Of OLA’s 19 staff members, 14 are Latino or Spanish-speaking, and of those, 11 are first- or second-generation immigrants from Latin America.
In recent years, OLA has also made working with Latino youth a priority. The organization has been working on ensuring better access to mental health services for adolescents, which are in scarce supply on the East End. It also created a youth mental health awareness campaign and designed and distributed a bilingual youth survey, the results of which will soon be released in a forthcoming report by Stony Brook University faculty.
“We are proud of how our work has expanded and of having so many dedicated men and women as part of our team,” says Perez. “Whether working on establishing COVID vaccination sites, helping people understand their rights as tenants or as victims of wage theft or other crimes, taking people to and from medical appointments, or helping people navigate confusing systems, OLA’s team is deeply connected to the people we serve. Like most Latinos in our region, including those we help through our services, our staff is firmly enmeshed in the fabric of the East End. They work hard every day to better the lives of so many. We have much to celebrate!”
After Pachanga, the 20th year celebration continues on Thursday, July 28, at The Church in Sag Harbor, with Sabor, OLA’s first-ever cocktail gala, and then with its 19th Annual Latino Film Festival of the Hamptons beginning Friday, September 16.
Tickets for Pachanga are $12 adults ($5 Parrish members) at parrishart.org or call 631-283-2118. For information in Spanish call 631-899-3441. Parrish Art Museum is at 279 Montauk Highway, Water Mill. Proof of vaccination is required.
Staff Writer on Jun 22, 2022