Nuestra Gente Community Projects, Inc.

Nuestra Gente Community Projects, Inc (NGCPI) is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization on a mission to improve the lives of Toledo’s underserved communities. Founded in Toledo in November 2008 to serve the Hispanic/Latino community, it has since expanded its mission and objectives for the inclusion of all community members in need. NGCPI embraces and values the innumerable benefits of a diverse community working together for the progress of all. NGCPI is a champion for education, health, and the overall enrichment of life in Lucas County, Ohio.

• The Safe Program Nuestra Gente helps Latinos and low-income residents of Lucas County with their medical needs by providing access to healthcare services--making medical appointments, providing transportation and translation for their medical appointments and bills so they don't miss payments or other deadlines.

• Lupus Awareness Lupus is primarily a disease of young women. Lupus is two to three times more prevalent among women of color — African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders — than among Caucasian women. Our program is concentrated in Lucas County, which is home to 86,153 African-Americans and 27,392 Hispanics/Latinos, according to the 2010 U.S. Census). The county has a population of 441,815, of which 227,534 are female (51.5%). Our goal is to bring awareness and education to the community about lupus in hopes of both saving lives and helping those affected to manage the disease. We host monthly support groups and other activities during Lupus Awareness Month. Currently, NGCPI’s is the only bilingual lupus awareness program offered in Lucas County.

• Art Room Program Class participants of the Art Room program can learn the basic techniques of drawing and painting in a safe environment. Participants can take what they have learned and experience the process of creative expression. The program fosters an empowering sense of self-confidence, pride, and identity while providing an outlet for cultural expression. Students embark on a journey of self-discovery by exploring their own painting preferences and studying painting form and structure through a progressive set of activities.

• La Feria de la Salud NGCPI is a champion for overall health. We go directly to the community and offer free health services such as HIV and cholesterol testing and blood pressure and blood sugar screening. We hold monthly informational sessions about breast cancer, diabetes, and lupus. To date, we have screened 1,380 people for HIV and 1,520 people for blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol issues. But there is much more work to be done. Our services are open to all who need help.

• Barrio Latino Art Festival The mission of the Barrio Latino Art Festival, which is in its 9th year, is to: support artists, promote artistic expression, and bring visitors and neighbors together to share in the spirit of the arts in our community. It is an event that fills the Old South End of Toledo, Ohio with an atmosphere of imagination and hope as people come together to joyfully celebrate a day for the Arts through food, activities for children, dancing and of course, beautifully displayed artwork.

• Old South End Fall Festival The Old South End Fall Festival has several attractions for families’ enjoyment: trick-or-treat, games, food, music, face-painting, and a costume contest. The event is a community-building activity for families, allowing them to play games together and enjoy the holiday in a safe environment. A lot of families live in this struggling part of the city, and area children need a place to celebrate the season in safety.

• 419-Food Pantry is a community-based program, we collect and store food and clothing for free distribution to needy people, families, and veterans. Our food pantry is organized much like a small market and our Volunteer Team works with neighbors as they make food selections. 419-Food Pantry is designed to provide an emergency food supply, providing food relief for up to three days per person.

• Nuestra Gente Thanksgiving We help families in need have a Thanksgiving meal on their table. We provide and deliver 60 food baskets filled with turkeys and all the ingredients for a full Thanksgiving meal to Families in the Old South End, near downtown Toledo, Veterans, Homeless, and to a Pastor for members of his church.

• Feliz Navidad Initiative, provides Christmas assistance such a free clothes, shoes, food, bikes, and toys to needy individuals, underprivileged children, and families in Lucas County. Each year, our Feliz Navidad Initiative selects a handful of well-deserving families to be sponsored. These families are not receiving or do not qualify for other forms of assistance. In addition, we select individuals that are making significant attempts to support themselves, i.e. the under-employed. Feliz Navidad Initiative's mission is to provide gifts to children whose families may be struggling during the holidays; encourage other members of the community to help local families and to inspire community members to be community and service-minded—always willing to help others.

• WVZC-LP 96.5FM Nuestra Gente Radio is a nonprofit, public radio station licensed to NGCPI that provides a broadcasting service in Spanish to Lucas and Wood counties. Community radio stations are a source of empowerment to disenfranchised and marginalized groups in society, often providing the only means of access to vital information about health, education, culture, and current events.

• Nuestra Gente Noticias The city's first-ever Spanish-language radio newscast. Monday through Friday at noon on WVZC-LP 96.5 FM. The newscast, which started airing Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, is broadcast weekdays at noon and features local, national, and international news, sports, entertainment, and other headlines of interest to Toledo's Latino population.