AARP MultiCultural Outreach

VOCES is both humbly and confidently putting forth its name as a nominee for the AARP Multi Cultural

Community Award.

Debra Tyler-Horton is quoted, as a description, “AARP is looking for organizations and businesses that

understand the importance of building strong reciprocal relationships with partners that help

strengthen communities.”

For over 6 years, VOCES has been the strongest, and for a long time the singular, “voice” of the Latin

Community in and around Carteret County, Down East. We have been the key “Voice” of the integration

of understanding of all communities through outreach, education, interaction and just simple social

affairs that allow a better understanding of the similarities between the Latino and nnon-Latino

community. This has effected a deepening of community and coming together, and a lesseing of fear

based misunderstandings on both sides.

How have we accomplished this?

Our Mission: We believe that just and vibrant communities come about from the dedicated efforts of

diverse people working together to build strong families and productive enterprises.

By fulfilling this mission for over 5000 People within our community,(HOW MANY PEOPLE LIZZETT?)

VOCES has successfully and consistently:

* resolved conflicts that have arisen simply through cultural and language misunderstandings – showing

them to not really be misunderstanding of the people themselves;

* matched opportunities between local enterprise and the various skills and experiences available in the

Latino community – transcending the fear or misunderstandings;

* entered with a definitive footstep into the Latino Community to support confidence, family life, after

school tutoring (both English to the Latinos and Spanish to the non-Latinos) – supporting a broader

vehicle for education, on every level;

* liaised with the hospitals and courts on behalf of Latino clients, ensuring clear translation and mutually

clear understanding of situations – clearing the pathway for enhanced and eased understanding in

normally quite stressed situations;

* eased transition to new housing and legal status through community representation and education –

changingfear to understanding in critical areas of adjudication, importance of law and enforcement.

There is so much more VOCES has been able to offer the entire community of Carteret County with our

24/7 HELP LINE – available to everyone – with immediate help and reference on any issue.

Our very presence and our staying power of these many years have given a confidence and stability to

the multicultural communities in our area. We stand as the singular VOICE to this growing community, a

singular bridge to the communities. VOCES welcomes the consideration for the AARP North Carolina

Multicultural Outreach Award for 2011. The recognition of our legacy and impact Down East will greatly

impact and further validate not only our own call to action, our ability to help and raise VOCES to the

ever expanding call of change as the community grows – but also to be recognized as a template for

communities all across America.

Lastly, acknowledging VOCES with your high profile award furthers our legitimacy to any voices that

would turn to AARP as the validator of our desire to match A. Barry Rand’s statement and commitment

to…. “open the door to the American dream for all people to broaden the culture of America and ensure

that it was more inclusive.”

Sincerely put forth by LizzetPrest CEO of VOCES - on behalf of the many volunteers of VOCES, the Board

or Directors across several states, the many Corporations that have noted and supported our growth

and effort – and my husband, JimmPrest (PUT HIS BIRTH AND DEATH YEARS HERE), who began VOCES

with me in 2005 with the spirit of justice.