Nuevos Horizontes de Starr County — Mini Grants

Statewide Need
More than half of Texans are black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, or Native American and are less likely to receive the services and support their families need. A better understanding of the different values, cultures, and customs in Texas can help to inform future advocacy work, planning, and grant project development. This can be accomplished by building relationships with organizations that work to improve the lives of individuals from ethnic minority cultures, supporting leaders to change the systems that provide supports and services, and by assisting people of ethnic minorities who have developmental disabilities (DD) better access to services and supports.

Project Goal
Provide community awareness, recruit volunteers/members, promote the objectives of the organization, and increase daily activities at the center to enhance the program. The project will host events, provide support through mentors, and enable young adults to reach their goals.

Project Summary
Nuevos Horizontes aimed to empower families of individuals with DD by providing them with information about disability and individual rights. The program provided families with a trustworthy, educational place to leave youths with DD during the day.

Nuevos Horizontes held monthly educational meetings for participants and the community was made aware of the organization through community outings. The center negotiated a low rate with a local transportation company and asked the nutrition department from the local school district to deliver well balanced, healthy, warm meals at student rates.

As a result of the project, parents have become active members in their child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) at school. They’ve also referred the center to others whom they felt would benefit from the services. As a whole, the community has a better understanding of the specific needs of individuals with DD.

• Impact
  
  • Held monthly educational meetings for participants to provide them with information about their rights
  • The community has a better understanding of the specific needs individuals with DD and has shown support through donations and attendance at events
  • Parents have become active members in their children’s IEPs at school
  • Parents have referred others that could benefit from its resources to the center