Honoring Family and Building Homes for Hispanic Heritage Month

For the third year in a row, G2 is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month which is observed in the U.S. from September 15 to October 15 each year. It’s a celebration of the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

So why does Hispanic Heritage Month span two months? Because the day of September 15 is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and 18, respectively. National Indigenous Peoples Day or Día de la Raza, on October 12, falls within this 30-day period as well.

As co-leads of the The Latix and Allies Employee Resource Group (ERG), we are proud to host the month-long celebration with a schedule of activities, discussions, and giveaways including:

• A discussion about the groundbreaking film Encanto in partnership with our Parents and Allies ERG
• Latinas in History trivia event in partnership with our Women and Allies ERG
• Swag and prizes giveaway from Latine-owned businesses
• Ongoing discussions on hot and trending topics in our Latinx and Allies Slack channel

However, the focus of this month isn’t our events and prizes. It’s something much more significant. In Latine communities, family is the heart of the culture, so it’s important the Latinx and Allies ERG honor this cultural facet. In the spirit of our PEAK values, and love of family in Latine cultures, we are raising funds to build a home for a family in need in Mexico.

G2 has partnered with New Story, one of our pillar charitable organizations for our G2 Gives program, for the second year in a row to raise $6,000. These funds will go towards the construction of a life-changing home for a Mexican family currently experiencing inadequate shelter. Last year, we set out to raise $6,000 to build one home, but were thrilled to raise double that amount and build a home for two families!

This year, we’re hoping to replicate our fundraising success again with a goal of $6,000 and are seeking support inside and outside of G2. Every contribution counts toward building a proper home for a family.

Our passion for this campaign and for New Story’s work is because New Story believes a home is not just shelter, but a necessity for a family to grow and thrive. A home supports health and sanitation, provides safety, enables children to learn and study, economic opportunities for parents, and builds community.

As we mentioned above, one of our events this month was a panel and chat about Encanto. If you haven’t seen the film, it’s about a gifted family in Columbia who lives in a magical house. The house responds to them and helps them. The "casita" is said to have a life and it binds the whole family together. The house is part of the family.

While we can’t build a magical house, we can help bind a family together with a home which will provide them safety, opportunity, and community.

To donate, click here.