As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, we continue reflecting on the people and organizations whose work strengthens Hispanic and Latino communities throughout our region.
One of those organizations is ALA Garífuna Women, a Seattle-based community organization dedicated to uplifting and advocating for Garífuna, Afro-Indigenous and immigrant families. Through food access, education support, cultural preservation and advocacy for domestic workers, the organization works to help families thrive while staying connected to their culture and community.
“No matter where life takes us, always stay rooted in who you are. Your culture is your strength and your voice.”
Creating a Space Where Families Feel at Home
ALA Garífuna Women was created in response to a need its leaders saw firsthand: Garífuna and Central American immigrant families needed a safe, culturally familiar space as they navigated life in the United States.
Many families faced challenges including language barriers, food insecurity, difficulties accessing social services, navigating school systems, and workplace exploitation. ALA Garífuna Women recognized that addressing those challenges required more than providing resources. It required an organization that understood the community’s culture, experiences, strengths and needs. That community-centered approach remains at the heart of its work today.
ALA Garífuna Women’s programs combine practical support with a commitment to preserving and celebrating Garífuna culture. Its culturally grounded food distribution program helps families access nutritious food and has grown to serve families across the Seattle area. Through education support, the organization also helps parents navigate school systems and connect their children with resources.
Cultural preservation is equally important. ALA Garífuna Women creates spaces where Garífuna language, music, food, traditions and spiritual connections can be celebrated and passed from one generation to the next.
The organization is also involved in the Domestic Workers Movement, advocating for fair treatment, dignity and labor protections for immigrant women working in domestic roles.
When Community Care Creates Community Leaders
The impact of that work can be seen in the families the organization serves.
ALA Garífuna Women shared the story of one Garífuna family that recently arrived in Seattle with limited resources and no local connections. Through the organization’s food distribution program, school navigation support and cultural gatherings, the family was able to find stability, enroll their children in school and reconnect with their cultural identity.
Today, members of that family volunteer in ALA Garífuna Women’s programs, helping support others in their community. Their journey reflects a belief at the center of the organization’s work: community care can create community leaders.
Reflecting on Hispanic Heritage Month
For ALA Garífuna Women, Hispanic Heritage Month was an opportunity to celebrate culture while bringing greater visibility to the distinct history and identity of Afro-Indigenous Garífuna people. The month provided an opportunity to uplift Garífuna language, traditions and ancestral stories and to recognize the resilience of immigrant families preserving their culture while building lives in a new country.
As the organization shared:
“To me, Hispanic Heritage Month means resilience, the strength to carry our culture, our identity and our stories forward no matter where life takes us.”
Representation, however, extends far beyond a single month. For ALA Garífuna Women, it means ensuring Afro-Indigenous, immigrant and domestic-worker women have a voice in conversations and decisions that affect their communities. Community leadership means showing up authentically, taking pride in one’s culture and working to ensure no one is left behind.
Looking Ahead
ALA Garífuna Women’s work continues beyond Hispanic Heritage Month.
The organization hopes to expand its food distribution program, strengthen its education advocacy efforts and create more opportunities to preserve Garífuna culture. Its leaders also plan to deepen their involvement in domestic worker rights and build partnerships that connect immigrant families with additional resources.
One of the organization’s long-term goals is to establish a dedicated community space for Garífuna cultural programming and family support. Though ALA Garífuna Women describes itself as a small organization, its work demonstrates the power that can come from a community supporting its own.
“I am proud because even when our work feels small, I know I am stepping out for my community and creating space where our people feel seen, supported and valued.” -Shaylan Dolmo Bodden (Founder & Executive Director)
As we look back on Hispanic Heritage Month, ALA Garífuna Women offers an important reminder: celebrating heritage is not limited to a month on the calendar. It is found in the everyday work of preserving culture, advocating for one another and creating opportunities for the next generation.