SAU celebrates 40 years of service

By Debbie Gardner

PRIME Editor

SPRINGFIELD It was born out of necessity 40 years ago.

When the construction of Interstate 91 threatened the fabric of the Latino community that inhabited the North End of Springfield, a group of motivated neighborhood residents banded together to help their neighbors cope with the loss of affordable housing.

In 2008, the Spanish American Union (SAU) still serves as a voice, an ally, and a place, according to Board member Iris Yolanda Van Derdys-Ortiz, to "bring your problems and celebrate your joys" for the residents of the North End.

On September 25, the SAU, fondly known as La Casa Hispana to community residents, will celebrate its 40 years of service to the community with a night of fine food, cultural rhythms and a special appearance by stage and screen star Rita Moreno at Chez Josef in Agawam. Cocktails will be served at 6 p.m.; dinner, featuring pork and rice, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person. ($150 to attend a VIP private reception), and all proceeds will benefit the SAU's youth programs.

"This will be a celebration of culture . an opportunity to bring friends, colleagues and the community together," Robert Bailey, executive director of the SAU, told Reminder Publications.

He said the "simple but elegant" event will feature a culturally-themed menu, entertainment by La Perfecta Band, dancing, and of course, remarks by Moreno.

"For those not wishing to try our food, there will be an alternative dish," Bailey said, adding that the presentations that evening will be kept short because "we want to make sure that we have an opportunity to dance and enjoy the night."

For tickets, or for more information, call 413-734-7381.

Meeting a community's needs

"This is the oldest Latino organization in Western Massachusetts, Bailey told Reminder Publications.

And from the very beginning, he said, the SAU was a grassroots, community-oriented organization.

"There were a lot of people who lived in this community, who grew up in this community, who said 'our community is being decimated' the Interstate really split it in half and people felt, what can we do, how can we keep a sense of community," recalled Barbara Lopez, president of the SAU's Board of Directors. "The SAU was begun [because of that problem], and it was begun by people from all walks of life."

People, Lopez said, who understood how community groups worked and who both understood the workings of the local political system as well as how to get it to listen.

Among the most famous was Barbara Rivera, the late mother of Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera.

"Barbara Rivera really was one of the founders," Lopez said.

Though the loss of housing was its initial focus, the SAU soon branched out to address other issues and shifted from a politically active group to the role of service provider.

"Over the years the SAU has changed and grown," Lopez said. "Under a former director we were very much into public health."

She said in the 1980s and early 90s the SAU focused a great deal on women's health issues. These included breast health, osteoporosis, and maternal and children's health issues.

"That changed [our focus]," Lopez said.

She noted with the SAU's recent focus on other issues, such as the development of the Pioneer Valley Gang Prevention Coalition, Alive with Awareness, Knowledge and Empowerment (A.W.A.K.E.) project for youth and families and the Strategy Team for a New Springfield, in some degree, the SAU is moving back toward a political activist role once again.

Bailey said this shift simply addresses the needs of the neighborhood today.

"Just look at the makeup of Springfield," he said. "Over 50 percent of the youth in the school system are Hispanic and unfortunately, we have the highest dropout rate our graduation rate is only 53 percent."

"Springfield is also number two in Hispanic population in the state," he continued "[And] it has the highest teen pregnancy rate according to the 2006 numbers."

Complementing the SAU's more politically-oriented projects are programs, Bailey said, which are dedicated to the needs of adults and elders in the community.

Among those programs are a Men's Health Partnership, the Community Health Network #4, a multicultural Alzheimer's Project, a senior center sensitive to the cultural needs of Latino elders called Latinos Unidos and the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project, which is designed to help preserve the community's musical heritage.

"We are a smaller organization, but as times change and needs change, we want to be part of that change," Bailey said.

Change, however, that is driven by the needs of the community the SAU serves, not by any agenda set by the organization.

"The strength of the SAU has always been its willingness to step up and meet the needs of the community," Lopez said. "One of the things we have never wanted to lose is the respect that is mutual between the agency and the community. We can be very proud that, over the years, we have maintained a level of integrity."

"We have limited resources," she continued. "But we are unfaltering in who we serve and why we serve them."