Join in the festivities!
The great Latino Fiesta of Washington, DC is once more with us and it will be held during the festivities of Hispanic Heritage Month. This year a group of community leaders, members of the corporate and governmental sectors are banding together to celebrate our heritage, under the newly created organization Fiesta DC, Inc.

The event is free to the public and the consumption of alcohol will be prohibited. The program will highlight music, cultural programs, arts and crafts, and food from all corners of the Latino experience.

Want to exhibit your organization or business?

Fiesta DC is a unique window for both small businesses and large corporations to reach the Latino community in the Washington metropolitan area, home to nearly one million Latinos. The Latino population has one of the fastest growth rates in the nation, with strong purchasing power and a young and willing labor force that has revitalized soical and commerical life in Washington. Fiesta DC welcomes individuals and corporations committed to the development of the Latino community. Your financial sponsorship or donation will help in the success of the event. For more information on reserving an exhibit table is available at the Fiesta DC website.

Fiesta DC is supported by the DC Office on Latino Affairs (OLA), the Ibero American Chamber of Commerce and the Council on Latino Agencies, an umbrella association of 40 non-profit organizations serving the Latino community in DC.

The National Neighborhood Coalition Community Engagement Forum Series continues with a dialogue among leaders of neighborhood institutions with an activist edge. Schools, libraries, faith-based and social service organizations all have the potential to enhance, or in some cases, hinder community engagement in neighborhood and civic life. NNC's forum will explore the strategies and experiences of neighborhood institutions and residents who are developing a voice, building power, and influencing positive change.

Community-based institutions and organizations often provide benefits beyond service provision or specific programs. They foster informed engagement by neighborhood residents and a strengthened capacity to contribute effectively to neighborhood change. There is no single method for engaging neighborhood people and institutions as change makers. Rather, strategies are shaped by neighborhood circumstances, institutional politics, and increasingly the priorities of national organizations and funding sources. Successful organizations know their community and take an intentional approach to strengthening the will and capacity of their residents to participate.

Join us for an important discussion among innovative leaders committed to building powerful, and empowering, neighborhood institutions. Panelists will discuss how they are facilitating neighborhood engagement and how neighborhood residents influence their institutions. Add your voice and experience to the dialogue!

Moderator: Roland Anglin, New Jersey Institute for Public Policy and Research

Roundtable participants:

· Linda Figueroa, Community Action Commission of Harrisburg, PA

· Tina Johnson, Coalition to Save our Schools, Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Dr. RobyneTurner, The Cookingham Institute of Public Affairs, University of Missouri-Kansas City

· Christina Hip-Flores, Spanish Catholic Center, Washington, DC

· Maureen O'Connor, Queens Borough Public Library, Queens, NY

· Sandy Dang, Asian American Lead, Washington, DC

· The Point CDC, Bronx, NY (Invited)

In celebration of our 5th Year Anniversary, Our Place, DC and The Forecast are hosting a Fall Fashion Show and Luncheon on OCTOBER 25, 2004. All reservations are made through The Forecast and Our Place board members. Seating is limited to 200 people and is available on a first-come basis.

Social Hour:11:30 a.m.

Luncheon: Noon

Tickets: $100 per person

Deadline for reservations: Monday, October 18

All Proceeds will benefit Our Place, DC. For further information, contact Our Place at 202-548-2400.

The mission of Our Place, DC is to support women who are or who have been in the criminal justice system by providing the resources they need to maintain connections with the community, resettle after incarceration, and reconcile with families. Our Place helps women remain drug and alcohol free, obtain decent housing and jobs, gain access to education, secure resources for their children, and maintain physical and emotional health.

If you would like to share any announcements from your organization or campus with the CoRAL Network community, send a brief blurb to cbenitez@coralnetwork.org by close of business each Thursday for inclusion in the following Monday's Newsbits.