Ricardo Quiñonez (left) and Leslie Garcia (right) have taken the helm of two new initiatives at the LAA. Leslie and Ricardo both previously worked with the LAA's Homelessness Prevention program providing support to families in need of financial assistance as a result of the pandemic thanks to funding from the CARES Act.
LAA launches two new programs under
ï»żFamily Stabilization and Well-Being department
Last fall, Ricardo Quiñonez became the LAA’s new Victims of Violence case manager and since has been leading the efforts of the a new program in our Family Stabilization and Well-Being department that assists women who have been victims of violence in getting out of harm’s way. Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, this program not only helps women create a safety plan if they find themselves in an unsafe environment, but also connects them with different resources they need including putting them in contact with the LAA’s Immigration department if legal assistance is necessary.

Ricardo grew up with a passion for helping others. He has seen a great response from the women he has assisted so far. “To me, helping [our clients] and taking 30 minutes out of my time to listen to them might not be a lot for me but for them it can be life changing,” Ricardo says.

Another new program beginning under the Family Stabilization and Well-Being department is Aging and Disability Information funded by a grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Aging & Independence Services. Leslie Garcia, the LAA’s new Aging and Disability Information and Referral specialist, connects clients and their families with resources that are best for their needs. She also works closely with clients and their families to develop a personalized plan for each client to ensure that they take full advantage of the resources.

Technology and smartphones can be a big challenge when working with older populations. “I understand the community I am dealing with so I try to be very flexible with them to be able to help them in whatever way they need," said Leslie.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact Ricardo at 470-222-3766.
Seniors and people with disabilities and their families can contact Leslie at our Family Well-Being and Stabilization line at 404-638-1839.
Mother of three Yvonne Lynum is grateful to the LAA for advocating on her behalf and helping her gain the financial assistance needed to keep her home during the holidays.
Homeless prevention program provides family with stability in turbulent times

When Yvonne Lynum first reached out to the LAA to seek help paying rent, she was skeptical. The single mother of three is not Hispanic, and she’d reached out to other agencies with no luck. Yvonne lost her job at the start of the pandemic and bills were piling up.

It was not until she talked to Cynthia Roman, social worker and managing director of the LAA’s Family Stabilization & Well-Being department, in the fall that her luck started to change. The LAA assisted Yvonne with $1,000 for rent. She was grateful, but that was not enough to pay her months in arrears. Then, says Yvonne, is when the magic happened. Cynthia reached out to an agency where Yvonne had applied and advocated for her case until Yvonne got the funds she needed.

“Cynthia really kept them accountable. She copied me on emails and asked them ‘what’s the status?’ over and over,” says Yvonne. “Finally they reached out to my landlord and paid everything I owed.”

Yvonne was able to stay in her home for the holidays, and her family came to visit. With Cynthia’s support, she also found a new job and is working full time and looking into buying a house. Yvonne remains grateful to the LAA.

“Cynthia’s help was tremendous in getting us stabilized,” says Yvonne. â€œWithout Cynthia’s advocacy, we wouldn’t have been able to have Christmas at my house. We have other challenges but we’re inside.”
Grand reopening of LAA food pantry
Thursday, March 4, the LAA officially reopened our fully renovated food pantry. Thanks to the support of the City of Brookhaven, the renovated space features an industrial refrigerator and fully stocked shelves. Clients can now make appointments to stop by the LAA's Atlanta outreach center to pick up food from the pantry.

If you would like to donate food to the food pantry, please send an email to gifts@thelaa.org.
Dear friends,

March is National Social Work Month. I hope you’ve learned something new about what our social workers do through their work at the LAA through this month’s stories. Our social workers are essential to the heart of our work here at the LAA and essential to our larger community well-being.

March is also International Women’s Month. Over the past year, the world has been struggling through the pandemic, however women across the world have borne the brunt of the it's impact disproportionately. We have seen that impact right here at the LAA. The majority of the clients coming to our doors are women. Last March, mothers were laid off from their jobs and suddenly had to find a new job, pay the bills and home school their children. The majority of clients coming to us are these mothers. Similarly, our staff, the majority of who are women, have continued to work from home or from our offices navigating caring for their clients and families since the pandemic's onset. Many of them took on extra responsibilities both at work and at home to make sure their families and our community were being served well.

We have also seen women stand up for their communities during this time and try to forge a new path forward. When we hosted food drives last year, some of our own clients volunteered their time to pack and distribute food. We had 160 Latinas complete our 8-week program for Latina entrepreneur program ÂĄAvanzando Juntas! (which translates to moving forward together) and 500 Latinas participate in our budget and credit and “Are you ready to start your own business?” workshops. Women have shown their true resilience during the pandemic. They have taken charge, adapted, used their networks and other resources to push past adversity for their selves and their families.

On Saturday March 31 at 1 p.m., we’ll close out International Women’s Month with our 6th annual Latina Empowerment Conference celebrating women’s resilience and examining how to embark a path beyond this crisis. We hope you’ll join us then. In the meantime, if the LAA remains ready to help anyone achieve resilience during the pandemic and beyond.

Sincerely,
Register Now!
We invite you to join us on Wednesday, March 31, for an afternoon full of inspirational speakers, workshops and offer educational resources for Latina entrepreneurs. The event will be hosted fully in Spanish.
Atlanta Outreach Center
2750 Buford Highway, NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
404.638.1800
Northwest Georgia Outreach Center
508 E Morris St.
Dalton, GA 30721
706.272.1992
Gwinnett Outreach Center
308 North Clayton St.
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
678.205.1018 
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