When working towards a future where all families are thriving and where all Latinas are empowered to lead and use their voices to cultivate a just and inclusive society, mental health is the foundation on which we build.

The power and impact that inclusive and culturally responsive spaces have on Latina youth is invaluable to their growth. The Chicas Youth Development Program at Adelante Mujeres strives to uncover the potential within each Latina youth participant so that they can be, and achieve, whatever it is they want.

Our graduation celebrations are looking a little different this year due to the pandemic. Our Adult Education team opted for a small, outdoor, socially-distanced and masked gathering. It was a sweet reunion, full of tear-jerking moments as we celebrated the hard work and accomplishments of the women in our Adult Education Program.

Chicas Summer Camps have looked quite different the past two summers due to the pandemic. Last year, while we were able to offer summer camps, they had to be held virtually. However, as our state continues to vaccinate residents as quickly as possible, this year, we are able to offer Chicas Summer Camps in person.

In the Chicas Youth Development Program, there is one underlying theme: You have the right to be here.

When students learn that they deserve to take up space, that their voices matter, and that they are capable of creating the change they want to see, activism is never far behind. As Pride month comes to a close, we highlight ways Latina youth are leading in the LGBTQIA+ movement.

My name is Griselda Hernández García, but I also go by Gray. I am from Mexico. I moved to Oregon back in 2006 at 19 years old with a 2-year-old daughter. I had no family here so it was difficult to start working and learning to drive. At that time, I wanted to return to school but felt like it was impossible since I had to work to support both my little girl and I.

At Ft. Bliss, a U.S. border detention center in El Paso, migrant children have been living in alarming conditions - where disease is rampant, food can be dangerous, and there are reports of sexual abuse, an investigation by the BBC has found.

Adelante Mujeres joins forces with other agencies to support the national “Free Them All” campaign to advocate for people who are unjustly detained.

In Oregon, almost 90% of agriculture workers are Latinx but only about 4% of farm business owners are Latinx. Daniela Perez talks about how the Adelante Mujeres farmers markets are working to solve this.

Peter Eickhardt from Great.com interviewed Bridget Cooke, Adelante Mujeres Executive Director & Co-founder, as part of their 'Great.com Talks With...' podcast.

By Bridget Cooke. I heard the threefold verdict of guilty, guilty, guilty this afternoon with a deep sense of relief for George Floyd’s family, for the country and for the world. Joy Reid said it well, “Blaming the dead didn’t work this time….”

Guest blogger, Kaely Summers, interviews Adelante Mujeres staff about their experiences getting the COVID-19 vaccine and talks about why it’s more important than ever to live in solidarity with one another.

From guest blogger Angela V.! “ Since graduating, I can’t help but look at reading as a chore or task. The feeling of impending doom at the thought of being quizzed and not knowing some obscure passage from an assigned reading definitely informed my reading habits, for better or worse.”

This year we are highlighting the front-line responders, health professionals, community volunteers, transport and logistics managers, scientists and more — women who are making critical contributions to address the COVID-19 outbreak we have been living with for almost a year.

“Structures have sustained over-representation of white men who make extremely consequential decisions. Inequality is perpetuated without critical interventions. Adelante intervenes daily by empowering Latinas at every level, and I love it.”

Cheers to the New Year! And cheers to Casa Qui, Adelante Mujeres’s Retail Business Incubator, who turned a month old on January 4th, 2021! Located on the Main Street of Forest Grove, Casa Qui brings a splash of Latin and Mexican culture to the Downtown area.

As we end one of the most difficult years for most of the population in the world, we have the opportunity to start a new year. As I spent the last week reflecting on the last year, I discovered that everyone needed to adapt — to change, and change can’t be easy when the outside circumstances are the ones forcing us to change.

In this unprecedented year, when it feels like communities of color are barely surviving, it’s important to reflect on the moments of good. Despite the circumstances and overwhelming challenges that 2020 brought us all, thanks to allies like you, some pretty amazing things happened at Adelante Mujeres this year.

The Adelante Mujeres Chicas Youth Development Program has been working with students to prepare them for the new adventure they’re about to embark on. The Journey to College workshop series offers bi-weekly workshops on college admissions, financial aid, scholarship writing, and letters of recommendation.