Ronald Nuñez is determined to create community. The president and founder of the Hispanics of Lake County Association works to create a hub of engagement for the nearly 80,000 Hispanics living in Lake County through humanitarian outreach, workforce development and multicultural awareness.
One of the nonprofit’s initiatives, the annual Fiesta of the Americas, takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Lake Square Mall in Leesburg. The fourth annual event will feature live music, ethnic cuisine, games and fashion in an effort to educate residents about the diverse cultures in North, South and Central America.
“We call it the Fiesta of the Americas because we intentionally want it to be a celebration of all the cultures within the Americas, not just the Hispanic culture,” Nuñez said. “We have countries represented such as, of course, the U.S., Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, Haiti and more. Vendors will provide information about their countries, some may have free food samples, others will dress up or bring artwork. It’s just a fun way to get to know the local diversity in the county because these are all people who live in the area and are just trying to share their culture.”
Attendees can immerse themselves in the experience by getting their festival “passport” stamped at each booth they visit. There also will be musical performances by the Island Vibes Caribbean steel drum band and the Tavares-based Senda Church.
“The idea is it’s a unity event,” Nuñez said. “We want to show it doesn’t matter where you are from, what you know and don’t know. It’s about having a fun way for us to see who is represented at the event.
Nuñez founded the Hispanics of Lake County Association in 2022, in an effort not just to connect the community, but to fill the void of vital resources.
“Our main goal is to build up our community by providing referral services and our internal services,” he said. “We find a lot of people in the community may need assistance with learning English, learning Spanish; they may need assistance with food or housing insecurities. We build relationships with various nonprofits that are already in existence to connect them to these services.”
After receiving a $10,000 grant from the Hispanic Federation, the Hispanics of Lake County Association launched its Adelante Success program, a professional workforce initiative that connects people with a personal career coach.
“Career development is a big part of us,” Nuñez said. “We are seeing some of the biggest needs we have right now is in the economy. We have people struggling to find jobs and employers struggling to find workers. We are trying to solve that gap as far as getting the two together.
“We found that a lot of the challenges are language based. Some people just don’t have the language fluency they need to secure a job. For others, it’s a skills issue. They don’t have the certification, education or training they need to be employed,” he said. “We are really focusing on career coaching so we can find the gaps that people have and work with them.”
In April, the nonprofit hired Rosie Prado to assist with the new employment assistance program. Prado, a licensed mental health counselor, said her goal is to ensure community members know the services available to them.
“My approach is centered on being accessible, welcoming and responsive to each individual’s needs,” she said. “I believe in meeting people where they are, listening to their professional and personal goals and challenges, and providing personalized guidance throughout their engagement in the program.”
Prado said programs like Adelante Success are essential because they break down the stigma surrounding the use of community resources and support services.
“Too often, people feel they have to navigate employment challenges on their own, and many never realize that there are organizations and professionals genuinely committed to helping them succeed,” she said. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, and sometimes all it takes is having someone believe in them, provide the right resources and help them take that first step.”
Along with hosting the annual Fiesta of the Americas event and offering career resources, the Hispanics of Lake County Association also hosts community breakfast events at different restaurants in Lake County to build networks and relationships while supporting local small businesses.
Its next community breakfast is the Workforce Breakfast, sponsored by Lake Technical College, from
8 to 9:30 a.m. Sept. 29 at Lake Technical College, 2001 Kurt St., Eustis. The last breakfast of the year, sponsored by Siga International, Jessyca Medina Realtor and Sue Dovales, will be the Real Estate Breakfast from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Nov. 17 in Clermont. Reservations for the free breakfast is required and can be done on the association’s website, holca.net.
