Events

Servicio de Impuestos Gratis Disponible en 2 Localidades

Free Tax Services are Available at 2 Locations

Andersen School, Minneapolis:

1100 Andersen Lane, Minneapolis, MN 55407

No se necesita una cita, empezando a las 9:00 de la mañana.
Cada sábado desde el 4 de Febrero hasta el 14 de Abril, 2012 – Pero cerrado el 18 de Febrero.

No appointment necessary, beginning at 9:00am.
Every Saturday from February 4 through April 14, 2012 – Except for the 18th of February.

MIRA, Richfield:

7145 Harriet Avenue, Suite 400
Richfield, MN 55423

Cada segundo y cuarto jueves del mes durante la temporada de los impuestos, empezando a las 10:00 de la mañana a la 1:00 de la tarde, solo con cita. Por favor llamar al (612) 243-3064 para citas.

Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, from February 9 through April 12, from 10:00am until 1:00pm, only by appointment. Please call (612) 243-3064 for appointments.

Ofrecemos asistencia de impuestos gratuito para personas que:
-Ganan menos de $30,000 al año por individuo.
-Ganan menos de $50,000 al año por familia.

Para más información contactar a Franklin Briceño (612)276-0788 ext. 6 o franklin.briceno@americas.org

We offer these free services for people who:
-Earn less than $30,000 for individuals.
-Earn less than $50,000 for families.

For more information please contact Franklin Briceno (612) 276-0788 ext. 6 or franklin.briceno@americas.org

We have decided to merge our Intercambios program with our Kitchen Connection program!
The first joint venture will be held on Saturday, February 4th from 12:00 - 2:30 pm. Some of our past Intercambios teachers are now going to become volunteers with Kitchen Connection, strengthening the language exchange component of Kitchen Connection. On February 4th our Spanish Language/Intercambios teacher, David Fernandez, will be the “Head Chef” and teach us how to prepare a delicious Colombian dish!

Saturday, February 4
12:00 - 2:30 pm
Stewart Park Recreation Center
2700 12th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55407

If you would like to attend Kitchen Connection, please RSVP to Maria Regan Gonzalez at 612-276-0788 ext. 5 or cocina@americas.org. A suggested $10 donation per person covers the cost of your meal but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Please check our event calendar to hear about upcoming Kitchen Connection dates that have rooms for more participants!

Questions about the merger of these two programs?
Contact Education Coordinator Amy Brockman at amy.brockman (at) americas.org or call 612-276-0788 ext. 4.

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“Conversation with Friends” - Be a visitor!

Support detained immigrants by being an ‘in-person’ visitor (you are in the same room as the detainees).

Civil Immigrant Detainees are held at the jail for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending the outcome of hearings in immigration court. Those held include long time residents, green card holders, asylum seekers, undocumented immigrants, and others. Some are held for days, some for months. Some do not have anyone who visits them.

Civil Immigrant Detainee Visitation Program Training - First 2012 Training

Session 1 - Sunday, February 19, 6:30pm - 8:30 pm
Session 2 - Sunday, February. 26, 6:30pm - 8:30 pm

Still to be scheduled: Session 3 is a required orientation at the Ramsey County Detention Center. Training is not complete until your background check is complete and you are oriented at the detention center by the jail programs personnel.

Training Location:
La Conexión de las Américas
3019 Minnehaha Ave, Suite 20
Minneapolis, MN 55406
(If there are any problems with entry, call 651-485-3104 for assistance.)

Sponsored by Interfaith Coalition on Immigration (ICOM)

Pre-registration is not required but it is helpful.

For more information or to pre-register, email Rev. John Guttermann at intpasj@me.com or call 651-485-3104.

Every first Saturday of the month and on 3/17 and 4/17

12:00 - 2:30 pm
Stewart Park Recreation Center
2700 12th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404

About Kitchen Connection

At Kitchen Connection, Spanish and English speakers, an organizer, and volunteer facilitators will come together in the kitchen to cook a meal together; connecting people and through cooking and conversation! Our goals include community building, sharing culture and improving our second language skills.

A “Head Chef” brings a Latin-American recipe and directs the group in teams to prepare the day’s meal. While the meal is cooking, participants are invited to take part in a more formal discussion or Intercambio, where individuals can practice their second languages. When the meal is complete, the participants sit down to share the meal together and continuing conversations that began in the kitchen or during the Intercambios language exchange.

With conversation in Spanish and English, participants can practice their second languages, exchange ideas and create connections across language and cultural diversity.

RSVP

Until May, individuals can participate in the Kitchen Connection every first Saturday of the month and on 3/17 and 4/17. If there are any open spots for individuals to join Kitchen Connection during a visiting group day, notification will be posted on the www.americas.org website, in our weekly newsletter and on Facebook. Reservations will be taken on a first come first serve basis. Starting in May, individuals will have the opportunity to RSVP every first and third Saturday of the month.

Individuals are encouraged to RSVP several days in advance as space is limited.

To RSVP for any Kitchen Connection events dedicated to individual participants, please email cocina@americas.org. Please note that a sliding scale donation of around $10 is recommended, to help cover expenses.

For more information follow this link on the Kitchen Connection programming.

Date: Sunday, March 11
Time: 9:45 -10:45 am

Place: Trinity Lutheran Church
2060 County Road 6
Long Lake, MN 55356
(952) 473-8577

Latino Voices: Examining Immigration in Our Community

Latino Voices is a joint project of Resource Center of the Americas and Interfaith Coalition on Immigration. Latino Voices aims to build understanding of systemic forces that have caused the immigration crisis, through a combination of individual stories and fact-based information on U.S. policy and history. We are working to create an environment of tolerance and understanding in which a fair, humane immigration system can be implemented.

Join us for a panel of recent Latino immigrants who have important personal stories to relate. Panelists discuss their reasons for coming to the United States, what life is like for them now, the successes and challenges immigrants face, and their hopes and dreams for the future. After the presentations of the panelists, the audience is invited to ask questions. We try to create a safe, respectful space for the enhancement of social dialogue and mutual understanding between people. It is our hope that this understanding will spread from the audience into the community, promoting greater understanding between cultures.

Coffee Hour Presentation
Saturday, March 17
10:00 - 11:30 am

La Conexión de las Américas
3019 Minnehaha Avenue, Suite 20
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-276-0788

Topic: The Mysteries of Time, the Secrets of the Mayan Calendar

Come to hear about Gina’s personal journey that brought her to be a “time guardian” or spiritual guide. She will give a short exposition about the implication of the December 21, 2012 date and doomsday scenario, “the confusion of multiple end dates” and its meaning to the Mayans. There will be a brief exploration of the calendar components, and how they fit together,and a short description of the 20 characters that make the tzolkin “short year” or spiritual calendar. If time allows we will begin to discuss how all this relates to our own lives and beyond.

Gina Kingsley, whose father was a full-blooded Mayan, will be our speaker. During her childhood she was handed down secrets from the Mayans and in the last decade she has been given more insight into the ancient Mayan Calendar, knowledge that is not found in books.

Gina graduated as a systems analyst and computer programmer and has also studied archeology at Hamline University. She belongs to a new non-profit called Mesoamerican Cultural Center, whose mission is to share ancestral knowledge about the cultures in our part of the continent.

For more information on this topic contact Gina at mayacron9@yahoo.com.

This event is free of charge, but donations are gladly accepted. Thanks to Glaciers Cafe for the donation of coffee and muffins!

Luther Castillo - voice of the voiceless

Luther Castillo is a Garifuna (Afro-Honduran) doctor and activist who founded the hospital Luago Hatuadi Wadhuano (For the Health of Our People), serving 20,000 people where no medical facility previously existed. He was educated at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba and was featured in the documentary film Salud.

After the June 2009 military coup in Honduras, he was a spokesperson for the popular resistance to the coup, and was labeled “Public Enemy #1” by the military, which issued a “shoot to kill” order. That forced Luther into exile. While in exile he led a medical relief delegation to Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake, a delegation of 700 graduates from the Latin American School of Medicine, that was put together by Cuba.

Come hear Luther talk about the struggle of the Honduran people and his medical work.

When: Tuesday, March 20, 7:00 pm

Where: Waite House
2529 13th Ave S
Minneapolis

Sponsored by Hands Off Honduras, Haiti Justice Committee, Minnesota Cuba Committee and La Conexión de las Américas

For more info - handsoffhonduras@gmail.com or 612-810-3900

Coffee Hour Presentation
Saturday, March 24
10:00 - 11:30 am

La Conexión de las Américas
3019 Minnehaha Avenue, Suite 20
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-276-0788

Topic: Civil Immigrant Detention and Support

More details of this topic to come!

Reverend John Guttermann is The Advocates for Human Rights Volunteer Liaison to Faith Communities, the Interfaith Coalition on Immigration (ICOM) Immigration and Policy Advocate, and is also ICOM’s lead for an in-person visitation program to civil immigrant detainees at the Ramsey County Jail.

After study trips in 2008 (Chiapas, Mexico) and 2009 (Guatemala), John began working to educate people about the complex issue of immigration. John has a BAS from the University of Minnesota (Science and Physical Education) and an MA and MDiv. from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He helped form the Immigration Task Force of the Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ. He is a Covenant Minister at the United Church of Christ in New Brighton. He has served the Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ in a variety of capacities and is, at present, Vice Chair of the Justice & Witness Team. He is an ardent environmentalist, serving as treasurer on the Board of Directors of Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light.

To learn more about this topic contact John at intpasj@me.com or 651-485-3104.

This event is free of charge, but donations are gladly accepted. Thanks to Glaciers Cafe for the donation of coffee and muffins!

Coffee Hour Presentation
Saturday, April 28
10:00 - 11:30 am

La Conexión de las Américas
3019 Minnehaha Avenue, Suite 20
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-276-0788

Topic: The Effects of and Fight Against GMO Corn in Rural Indigenous Mexico

With the lifting of the ban on GMO corn in 2009 by Mexican President Calderon, over 50 landrace corn strains in Mexico are at risk of being contaminated. Contaminated landrace corn has been reported across the country, including in Chiapas and Oaxaca, two Mexican states with the highest indigenous populations in the country.

Mexico’s most important staple food that has deep cultural and spiritual importance to the country, is at great risk of contamination due to companies like Monsanto lobbying for the planting of GMO corn in the heart of the world’s birthplace of corn. The culture, identity, spirituality, health and livelihoods of the People of Corn have already been greatly altered in this battle. Maria’s presentation will take a deeper look into how the recent history of US-Mexico commodity trade relations, NAFTA and Mexico’s Federal Biosecurity Law on Genetically Modified Organisms has changed the lives of the rural and indigenous community members in Mexico and what grassroots action is being taken to defend a country so intimately dependent on corn.

Speaker: Maria Regan Gonzalez

La Conexión de las América’s current Community Programs Coordinator, Maria Regan Gonzalez, has a diverse education, professional and personal background in both local and international food justice and community food systems. Maria’s food justice work ranges from organizing farmers in greater Minnesota interested in selling value-added organic products, building culturally competent community food handouts for Minnesota cities and counties to helping build family and school gardens in the Andes Mountains. During her year long stay in Mexico as a 2009-2010 Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar, Maria visited a number of indigenous and rural communities building alternatives to capitalist focused development, and shared stories of struggle and success in the fight for food justice in inner city United States. Maria shares information with communities in the United States about the struggles and successes of these communities in hopes of breaking down cross-cultural walls of misunderstanding, fear and prejudice.

Maria has her bachelor’s degree in Global Studies: Environment and Sustainable Development and Spanish from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities and a Certificate in Rural Sociology from the Autonomous University of Chapingo in Mexico.

For more information on this topic contact Maria at maria.reganglz (at) americas.org or 612-276-0788 ext. 5.

This event is free of charge, but donations are gladly accepted. Thanks to Glaciers Cafe for the donation of coffee and muffins!