Progreso Community Center

Donations for Flood Recovery Efforts / Donaciones para los Esfuerzos de Recuperación

2010-05-06T08:30:00.004-05:00

Dear friends:

As many of you already know, many people in Nashville have been affected by last week’s floods. Among those affected, are a large number of Hispanics living in our city. Through our first-hand visit to Antioch, one of the most affected areas, where many Hispanic community members live, we witnessed the magnitude of the disaster and the need for greater support in the recovery efforts.

In our conversations with people affected by this natural disaster, we found out that their most important needs are centered on monetary donations to palliate expenses. Furthermore, other needed items are water, gloves, masks, cleaning supplies, non-perishable food, lamps/lanterns, candles, trash bags, large trash cans, and clean clothes for adults and children.

Progreso Community Center (PCC) really appreciates the efforts being undertaken by other organizations that are helping the Hispanic community in the recovery efforts. Consequently, we believe that our work complements the efforts of those organizations. At the same time, we believe that this time of challenge represents a unique opportunity to organize and build the capacity of our community to face this or any other kind of challenge that we may encounter in the future.

PCC is committed to working transparently and with the direct participation of members of the Hispanic community affected by the floods, because we are and always will be accountable to our community.

If you or someone you know would like to contribute a monetary donation, the funds may be directly deposited to account number 444005363382 * that we have created particularly for this purpose at Bank of America. Any of the items listed above can be dropped off at Progreso Community Center. For additional information, please contact us. Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

Juan Canedo, M.A., Executive Director
Progreso Community Center
Centro Comunitario Progreso

*P.S. Make checks out to Progreso Community Center with the memo saying “Solidarity.”
Progreso Community Center is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible.

__________________________________________

Queridos Amigos y Amigas:

Cómo es de conocimiento de ustedes, muchas personas en Nashville han sido afectadas por las inundaciones de este fin de semana. Entre las personas afectadas hay un número grande de hispanos que viven en nuestra ciudad. A través de una visita directa a Antioch, una de las áreas más afectadas, donde muchos miembros de la comunidad hispana viven, fuimos testigos de la magnitud del desastre y de la necesidad de mayor apoyo en los esfuerzos de recuperación.

En nuestras conversaciones con las personas afectadas por este desastre natural, averiguamos que sus necesidades más importantes están centradas en donaciones monetarias para mitigar gastos. Además, otros artículos necesarios son: agua, guantes, mascarillas, artículos de limpieza, alimentos no perecederos, linternas/lámparas, y ropa limpia para adultos y niños.

El Centro Comunitario Progreso (CCP) realmente agradece los esfuerzos hechos por otras organizaciones para ayudar a la comunidad hispana en los esfuerzos de recuperación. Consecuentemente, creemos que nuestro trabajo complementa los esfuerzos de aquellas organizaciones. Al mismo tiempo, creemos que en este tiempo de desafío representa una oportunidad única para organizar y capacitar a nuestra comunidad para enfrentar éste o cualquier otro tipo de desafío que podríamos encontrar en el futuro.

CCP está comprometido a trabajar de manera transparente y con la participación directa de los miembros de la comunidad hispana afectados por las inundaciones, porque somos y siempre seremos responsables de nuestros actos ante nuestra comunidad.

Si usted o alguien a quien conoce le gustaría contribuir una donación monetaria, los fondos deben ser depositados directamente en el número de cuenta 444005363382 * que creamos particularmente para este propósito en el Bank of América. Cualquiera de los artículos mencionados arriba pueden ser dejados en el Centro Comunitario Progreso. Para información adicional, por favor contáctese con nostros. Gracias de antemano por su apoyo.

Atentamente,

Juan Canedo, M.A., Executive Director
Progreso Community Center
Centro Comunitario Progreso

*P.D. Escriba el cheque a la orden de Progreso Community Center indicando en el memo “Solidaridad.”

The 2010 Census and the Importance of Participating

2010-03-31T10:32:00.002-05:00

a message from Juan Canedo, PCC Director

We have been receiving information recently about the importance of being counted in the 2010 Census. And the information we have been given is correct. Based on the results of the Census, government funds are assigned to different communities for improvements to infrastructure, public education, and other projects. At the same time, based on the Census, the political districts are redistributed, which is very important for every person who lives in our city and state.

At Progreso Community Center, we believe that we should be counted not only because through the results of the 2010 Census they will give funds to our communities. More than that, we believe that it is important to be counted because it is a CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY that all of us that live in this country have. More than anything, we are part of this unique opportunity for civic participation in the life of this country! If we do not do it now, we will have to wait ten long years.

In order to be sure that we are all counted:

We should have absolute confidence that the information that we provide to the Census is absolutely CONFIDENTIAL and is protected by the law. We should not listen to those who say otherwise.

If you receive the Census form in English, and you want to obtain one in Spanish, call toll-free 1-866-928-2010 and provide the 20-digit identification number that can be found on the form you already received in the mail, on the tag above the postal address and below the barcode.

You have to include every person that lives in your house. The Census needs to know how many of us live in one house. For that reason, beyond yourself and your immediate family, you have to include your other relatives, if they are living in your house. Also, you have to include on the form any person living in your house as renter or renters. Remember – all of us living in one house should be counted together.

We should send back the completed Census form in the prepaid envelope. We do not need to buy stamps.

REMEMBER THAT TO BE COUNTED IN THE 2010 CENSUS IS A CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY!

This is a service to the community provided by Progreso Community Center. For more information, contact us at 615-332-8704 or send us an email at info@centrocomunitarioprogreso.org

Collective Reflection on Social Movements

2010-03-24T13:35:00.000-05:00

Reflexión Colectiva en Movimientos Sociales: ¡El Poder es Nuestro!

Los movimientos sociales nacen de la motivación de las personas de hacer escuchar sus voces desde su propia situación y perspectiva, ya sea de pobreza, explotación, u opresión en la que viven. Por eso, antes de tomar una acción colectiva, la reflexión crítica de las personas afectadas por la falta de una reforma al sistema migratorio de este país es fundamental. Esta reflexión crítica produce un movimiento social genuino y legítimo porque incluye procesos de toma de decisiones participativos.

Es importante hacer notar que los movimientos sociales a los que me refiero, no son movimientos que simplemente nos movilizan como objetos que se cuentan porque… como dice el dicho: “el poder está en el número de participantes”. Al contrario, los movimientos sociales a los que me refiero son aquellos en los que nosotros somos los sujetos responsables de la victoria o la derrota de las reivindicaciones que enarbolamos. Basados en esta noción de movimiento social, en el Centro Comunitario Progreso estamos convencidos de que el protagonismo y responsabilidad en el proceso de formación de un movimiento social efectivo está en la consulta colectiva.

Por eso, en nuestro enfoque de lucha social insistimos en el valor del diálogo y la reflexión colectiva en la que la participación de los sujetos sociales es sumamente importante. En este proceso el intercambio de perspectivas entre diversas personas bajo una problemática común -- la falta de una reforma migratoria – es enriquecedor porque en este, colectivamente se procesan los conocimientos en diálogo, deliberación, debate, y reflexión conjunta, con toda la diversidad y la riqueza de las experiencias de nuestras vidas con nuestras ideas y sentimientos. Por lo tanto, ¡sin ningún temor vamos a crear un movimiento social basado en el diálogo y la reflexión porque el poder es nuestro!

Juan Canedo, Director Ejecutivo
Centro Comunitario Progreso

Collective Reflection on Social Movements: The Power is Ours!

Social movements are born out of people’s motivation to have their voices to be heard, from their own situation and perspective, either out of poverty, exploitation or oppression in which they live. That is why before taking a collective action, a critical reflection of the people affected by the lack of a reform to the immigration system in this country is fundamental. This critical reflection produces a genuine and legitimate social movement because it includes participatory decision-making processes.

It is important to be clear that the social movements to which I refer are not the movements that simply mobilize us as objects that are only counted because…as the saying goes, “the power is in numbers.” On the contrary, the social movements to which I refer are those in which we are the responsible subjects of the victory or defeat of the claim that we hoist. Based on this notion of social movement, at Progreso Community Center we are convinced that the leading role and responsibility in the process of forming an effective social movement is in the collective consultation.

That is why that in our focus on social struggle we insist on the value of dialogue and collective reflection in which the participation of social subjects is extremely important. In this process the exchange of perspectives among diverse people under a common problem – the lack of an immigration reform - is enriching, because in it, knowledge in dialogue, deliberation, debate, and reflection are processed together, with all the diversity and richness of our lives’ experiences, with our ideas and feeling. Therefore, without any fear, let us create a social movement based on dialogue and reflection,
because the power is ours!

Juan Canedo, Executive Director
Progreso Community Center

Video: Folklore Mexicano - 4th Anniversary Celebration 2010

2010-03-12T09:56:00.000-06:00

4th Anniversary Celebration February 27th

2010-02-19T10:29:00.000-06:00

Nashville, TN – Progreso Community Center, the first Hispanic grassroots membership organization and community center in Nashville, will mark its fourth year working with the community with a celebration on Saturday, February 27, 2010, at its location (478 Allied Drive, Suite 107) in South Nashville.
The festivities will begin at 4:00 p.m. with an exhibition of artwork from some of Progreso’s members and local artists, and a showcase of the Community Center and its functions.
Then, beginning at 6:00 p.m., there will be a video montage and presentation of highlights and achievements from the past year, including a time of recognition and appreciation of volunteers and supporters.
The celebration will continue with performances by musicians and dance groups from the U.S. and Latin America.

Progreso Community Center – Centro Comunitario Progreso was founded by a diverse group of day laborers, women workers, local small-business owners and other Hispanic community members on February 22, 2006, out of a variety of successful community organizing campaigns, and in response to a need in the Hispanic community in Nashville for a participatory and democratic organization through which the community could identify its own problems and work together to solve them.

PCC’s mission is to organize and build the capacity of members of the Hispanic community to participate in processes of community action for social change for the collective benefit of Hispanics and the general community, while contributing to social unity in a context of multicultural diversity.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, call 615-332-8704,
email info@progresocommunitycenter.org,
or visit www.progresocommunitycenter.org

Nashville Latino Health Coalition: Training on HPV and Cervical Cancer

2010-02-16T06:36:00.002-06:00

Monthly Meeting / Reunión Mensual

*Training on HPV with Dr. Dineo Khabele*

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
miercoles 17 de febrero de 2010

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

at Progreso Community Center
en el Centro Comunitario Progreso
478 Allied Dr., Suite 107
Nashville, TN 37211
(Off of Nolensville Pike, just north of Zoo, turn on Allied Drive at Woodbine Funeral Home, go straight and the Center is 1 1/2 blocks on the right)

The meeting will include a training on
HPV (Human Papaloma Virus), HPV Vaccine, and Cervical Cancer
conducted by Dr. Dineo Khabele, MD

Dr. Dineo Khabele is a board-certified physician in both obstetrics and gynecology and gynecologic oncology. She has clinical expertise in diagnosing and treating cervical cancer and has a special interest in eliminating health disparities in cervical cancer. Khabele has being engaged in basic and translational research focused on women’s cancers, including a pilot study currently funded through the MMC-VICC Cancer Partnership which focuses on new inhibitors of ovarian cancer growth. She has actively forged partnerships in the local African American community and other organizations to support efforts focused on eliminating cervical cancer disparities. She has also conducted health education and training sessions and provided technical assistance for grant funding to the Witness Project of Nashville. The Witness Project of Nashville, founded in the fall of 2006, is an evidence-based community outreach program consisting of African-American breast and cervical cancer survivors and lay health promoters who make presentations to increase awareness, knowledge, access to screening, and early detection of breast and cervical cancer in African American women.

For more information, please contact us at:
nashvillelatinohealth@yahoo.com
or 615-332-8704

*Meetings of the Nashville Latino Health Coalition are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:00 pm, at Progreso Community Center.

Progreso Community Center Celebrates 4th Anniversary

2010-02-11T09:55:00.001-06:00

Nashville, TN – Progreso Community Center, the first Hispanic grassroots membership organization and community center in Nashville, will mark its fourth year working with the community with a celebration on Saturday, February 27, 2010, at its location (478 Allied Drive, Suite 107) in South Nashville.
The festivities will begin at 4:00 p.m. with an exhibition of artwork from some of Progreso’s members and local artists, and a showcase of the Community Center and its functions.
Then, beginning at 6:00 p.m., there will be a video montage and presentation of highlights and achievements from the past year, including a time of recognition and appreciation of volunteers and supporters.
The celebration will continue with performances by musicians and dance groups from the U.S. and Latin America.

Progreso Community Center – Centro Comunitario Progreso was founded by a diverse group of day laborers, women workers, local small-business owners and other Hispanic community members on February 22, 2006, out of a variety of successful community organizing campaigns, and in response to a need in the Hispanic community in Nashville for a participatory and democratic organization through which the community could identify its own problems and work together to solve them.

PCC’s mission is to organize and build the capacity of members of the Hispanic community to participate in processes of community action for social change for the collective benefit of Hispanics and the general community, while contributing to social unity in a context of multicultural diversity.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, call 615-332-8704,
email info@progresocommunitycenter.org,
or visit www.progresocommunitycenter.org

Successful Launch of 'Progreso y Bienestar'

2010-02-11T09:46:00.002-06:00

Launch of New Live Talk Radio Show
Focusing on Issues Identified by Hispanic Community

Nashville, TN – Progreso Community Center (PCC) and the Nashville Latino Health Coalition (NLHC) teamed up with La Nueva Activa 1240 to launch the first live broadcast of a new interactive radio program on February 7. The weekly call-in show, “Progreso y Bienestar” (“Progress and Well-Being”), airs on Sundays from 10:30-11:30am on this widely popular Spanish-language AM station.
The program will cover a variety of themes related to the health and general well-being of the Hispanic community in Nashville. The show has adopted the slogan of “the community opening paths through dialogue,” reflecting PCC and NLHC’s emphasis on constant interaction with and listening to members of the community.
Juan Canedo, executive director of PCC and Chair of NLHC, and Dr. Pamela Hull, secretary of NLHC and Associate Director of the Center for Health Research at Tennessee State University, are the co-hosts of the program. Canedo and Hull are both sociologists with expertise in how family, community, culture and society affect people’s health and behaviors and have been working with the Hispanic community in Nashville for several years.
With an interview and call-in format, the weekly show features interviews with invited guests and community members who will offer important information, respond to questions, and engage in dialogue with listeners.
The first program on February 7 focused on access to healthcare for persons with TennCare and the uninsured. The theme of access to healthcare for the uninsured had been previously identified by members of PCC and NLHC as particularly important to the Hispanic community in Nashville through a community survey. Josie Martinez of Health Assist Tennessee was in the studio as the first invited guest to appear live, and she shared vital information about the services her organization provides in helping Spanish-speaking clients to navigate their way through various obstacles to medical care.
The next program on February 14 will focus on prenatal care and will feature Rebecca Escobar, licensed practical nurse, from Baptist Hospital. Listeners with questions or comments related to the topic of the week are invited to call the radio station during the live program at 615-254-7850.
“Progreso y Bienestar” is made possible thanks to the support of Vanderbilt University and Meharry Medical College. For more information about the radio show, Progreso Community Center or Nashville Latino Health Coalition, contact PCC at 615-332-8704 or info@progresocommunitycenter.org.

Radio Show begins in February

2010-01-15T11:46:00.002-06:00

Radio La Nueva Activa 1240 AM in collaboration with
Progreso Community Center and
Nashville Latino Health Coalition

present ...

PROGRESO & WELL-BEING
PROGRESO Y BIENESTAR
“The community opening paths through dialogue”

Every Sunday 10:30 am - 11:30 am
on Radio La Nueva Activa 1240am
An informative and interactive radio show for Nashville’s Hispanic community.

Juan Canedo of Progreso Community Center, and Dr. Pamela Hull from the Nashville Latino Health Coalition
will host this weekly show in Spanish, which will launch on February 7, 2010.
Each week the show will focus on different issues that affect our well-being, as individuals, families, and as a community.

The show will feature invited guests and community members who will offer important information, respond to questions, and engage in dialogue with listeners. We invite you to call the radio station during the program at 615-254-7850.
This program is made possible thanks to the support of Vanderbilt University and Meharry Medical College.

For more information, contact Progreso Community Center
at 615-332-8704 or 615-569-3752, or info@progresocommunitycenter.org.
________________________________________

Radio La Nueva Activa 1240am junto con
el Centro Comunitario Progreso y
la Coalición de Salud Latina de Nashville

presentan ...

PROGRESO Y BIENESTAR
“La comunidad abriendo caminos a través del diálogo”

Un programa informativo e interactivo para la comunidad Hispana
Cada domingo de 10:30 am a 11:30 am
en Radio La Nueva Activa 1240am

Juan Canedo del Centro Comunitario Progreso y Dra. Pamela Hull de la Coalición de Salud Latina de Nashville conducen este programa semanal, el cual se lanzará el 7 de febrero de 2010. Cada semana el programa tratará diferentes temas que afectan nuestro bienestar individual, familiar y comunitario.

Habrán invitados expertos y miembros de la comunidad que brindarán información importante, responder a sus preguntas y dialogar con los radioescuchas. Les invitamos a llamar a la cabina durante el programa al 615-254-7850.

El programa es possible gracias al apoyo de la Universidad de Vanderbilt
y el Colegio Médico de Meharry.

Para mayor información, contacte al Centro Comunitario Progreso
al 615-332-8704 o 615-569-3752, o info@progresocommunitycenter.org.

4th Anniversary - February 27

2010-01-11T13:33:00.003-06:00

Progreso Community Center is preparing to mark it's 4th Anniversary, with a celebration on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at PCC. We invite you to come and share in this important day in the life of our organization and community.

The day will begin with an exhibition of Art from PCC members and local artists, beginning at 4:00pm. We'll look back over the past year in a presentation of 'highlights' and achievements from our community, while eating and conversing together.
Save the Date!

*Progreso Community Center was founded on February 22, 2006, out of the efforts of three different community organizing campaigns: local taqueria owners and employees, women workers fighting discrimination and harassment, and the struggle of local day laborers.

Project Access: Art & English

2010-01-11T13:07:00.004-06:00

This past Saturday (January 9th), Progreso Community Center began its second year of Project Access, a community collaboration with the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. The collaboration between PCC and the Frist Center involves five weekly sessions through which Hispanic community members work with artists and staff from the Frist to cultivate and further develop their artistic talents, while at the same time working to enhance their English skills.
Out of the previous Project Access sessions from 2009, artists and community members from PCC created numerous paintings and other works of art using a variety of mediums. All participants were also able to tour the Frist Center and were given access to a year's membership there, and were able to tour the downtown public library in Nashville, and received information and training on how to access the library's various resources.
This is a great opportunity to promote broader access to the vast artistic and educational resources in the Nashville area.

Below is a photo from the reception at Progreso that concluded last year's collaboration.