FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Lauren Hames 407-246-3106
 or Maria T. Diaz Urbino 407-765-7948

MAYOR DYER ANNOUNCES
HOLA OFFICE PARTNERSHIP

ORLANDO, Fla. (January 22, 2004) – Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and District 2 City Commissioner Betty T. Wyman Thursday announced the opening of the HOLA Office (see photos).

The HOLA Office, which stands for the Hispanic Office of Local Assistance, is a partnership between the City of Orlando and Latino Leadership, a non-profit Hispanic organization in Orlando. “When Latino Leadership and Hispanic community leaders met with me last summer to discuss the HOLA Office partnership opportunity, we realized that it was the way to go,” said Mayor Dyer.

Latino Leadership will operate the HOLA Office as a clearinghouse, offering information and referral services, a computer lab, workshops, seminars and training on housing, homeownership, economic sufficiency, computers, language acquisition, job readiness, health, legal aid, cultural arts and health services in English and Spanish. In addition, the HOLA Office will house the
“I Am The Future, Inc.” non-profit which will provide mentoring programs for at-risk students.

In return, the City of Orlando will lease a 2,800 square foot office space for two years with a value of $60,000. The HOLA Office will be located on the corner of Colonial Drive and Herndon Avenue and is scheduled for a grand opening at the end of February 2004. The City is also undertaking the necessary steps to amend the CDBG Annual Action Plan to provide a $100,000 grant for Latino Leadership’s “Healthy House, Happy Home” program, which will focus on minor rehabilitation and weatherization for elderly low-income housing.

“Orlando has experienced a Hispanic population explosion, with 500 Hispanic families moving to our area every month. The opening of the HOLA Office is the City’s way of helping these new residents become more quickly integrated and involved in our community. We are very excited to be able to achieve this goal through an innovative partnership with Latino Leadership,” said Mayor Dyer.

# # #