For
many years,
the Elgin community has had a wonderful networking opportunity for
social service agencies called Health & Welfare
Luncheon. By
the summer of 1987, several Hispanic community leaders felt the needs
of the exploding Latino community would be best served by creating an
organization exclusively devoted to the benefit and welfare of the
local Latino community. On September 2, 1987, Fabiola Palacios and
Estela Gallegos led the first meeting of the Elgin Hispanic Network.
Initially,
the group was referred to as The Elgin Hispanic Task Force, but in 1988
they officially changed the group's name to The Elgin Hispanic Network.
The network was home to members from a wide variety of Hispanic
cultures. Bonds between these differing cultures developed as everyone
sought ways to better the Latino community.
In
1989, bylaws were drafted and the Articles of Incorporation (for
non-profit organization) were filed with the State of Illinois.
Membership
grew dramatically and the Network began to be noticed locally as a
leader in the Hispanic community. 1991 also saw the first member awards
ceremony at Thanksgiving Luncheon which was held at Jalapenos
Restaurant.
On
February 19, 1992, the Elgin Hispanic Network hosted the Health
&
Welfare Luncheon at Elgin Community College and formally introduced
itself to the Elgin Community including its mission, objectives and
logo. In March 1992, the Network warded its first educational
scholarship awards. In April 1992, we began publishing a newsletter to
all the members on a monthly basis. Publication lasted five
years.
In
September 1993, the Network began the process of formal recognition
with the federal government as a non-profit organization. 501(c)(4)
status was granted in 1995.
In
March 1994, the Elgin Image Advisory Commission presented the network
with the prestigious Elgin Image Award in recognition of its
outstanding contribution to Elgin's image in 1993.
In August 1995, the Network was
recognized by the Elgin City Council as the leading Hispanic
organization in Elgin.
The
Network took the lead in organizing a public forum with City of Elgin
officials in order to address some of the concerns the Latino community
had with respect to housing overcrowding in 1999. A committee made up
of Latinos and African-Americans was created from this forum and used
to further address the concerns of Elgin's minority community with
respect to the overcrowding issue in Elgin.
2000
saw our first-ever Strategic Planning Retreat at the Community Crisis
Center. It resulted in some general recommendations and a clearly
articulated mission. We also became official participants in the City
of Elgin's Adopt-A-Highway Program for the next three years.
We
initiated our first-ever member Scholarship Fund Drive in 2001. The
Scholarship funds were secured to fully fund our two $500 scholarships
* sponsored by Elgin State Bank.
