Juntos Basin City is a group that got started by three ladies in Basin City that saw a need for camaraderie in the community and want to bridge the gap they currently see between Hispanic or non-Hispanic, Spanish speaking or not. Brenda Vasquez and Cricelia Calderon started talking and it started as a fitness center idea, three times a week with just a tv and some DVDs to get people in and getting used to the idea of being together, for all ages. The Event Center is part of the Calderon family (Cricelia’s brother) so that has been very beneficial for Juntos as it is currently their meeting place as well as where they host all their events.

After giving it some thought, they scratched the fitness center idea but still kept looking for resources. They applied for the Bailie Youth Foundation grant but unfortunately were rejected. When they were turned down, they knew they were still going to do something, it was just going to have to be at a smaller scale. The ladies still moved ahead. Cricelia’s sister, Elena Calderon, started helping them, remotely, find grants and apply for them. 
 
Elena wanted to help because she is a big advocate of community work. She was scrolling on Linked In one day and saw the Seattle CU Foundation Grant and knew that Juntos would be eligible for the award since it didn’t “require for applicants to be nonprofits.” It took about two weeks to complete the application, but it really helped to develop the mission of Juntos and to outline what community-building events would look like throughout the remainder of the year. Elena shared, “The grant emphasizes sustainability and they want to make sure that the work will continue beyond the grant, and that was something that we intentionally thought about as we outlined future workshops. For example, establishing relationships with people in the community who could donate a meal for our workshops, or space to host the workshops, partnering with local businesses and vendors who could provide discounts on food or let us borrow resources (photo backdrops) for our events. These relationships support sustainability.” 
 
So far, the community has been receptive to Juntos, showing up for their events. There is a sign-in sheet at every event so they can keep track of numbers and know the interest there is. Cricelia stated that they’ve been averaging about 30 people per event. “They make encouraging comments when they come, telling us to continue these events. They help build trust within the community. That’s very important for communities as they become diverse, that they trust each other,” Cricelia stated. 
 

Read full article on Franklin County Graphic >>

The Franklin County Graphic (FCG)  is a locally owned and operated, weekly source of community news and information across Franklin County. The Franklin County Graphic is a Legal Newspaper (approved January 11, 1955).