The view was amazing, the fashion on point and the cause important. Latinos Salud held their 16th annual gala at the Riverview Ballroom at The Broward Center.
“Our best gala. You brought the spirit,” the organization told its supporters.
After posing for pictures, live music and dinner awaited inside. In addition to raising money for Latinos Salud’s myriad programs, the night was about celebrating the work of the past year and preparing for the next.
The upcoming year could be the most difficult year yet. Culturally-competent healthcare has never been overly abundant or easy to locate. But providing that service is core to Latinos Salud’s mission.
“[This is] a safe space for gay Latinos for their friends and partners and the entire LGBT community in South Florida,” they say.
“Latinos Salud means to me community, love, a safe haven for me,” Nico Cales said.
“The atmosphere was different this year,” one attendee said. “It felt more a sense of community and gathering, which I believe was influenced by [Executive Director] Dr. [Stephen] Fallon’s message.”
Funds raised by the gala are perhaps more crucial this year, as state and federal policies are impacting DEI programs and HIV testing, prevention and care. The LGBTQ community has been hit hard.
Florida, and specifically South Florida, is a hotspot for new HIV cases as well as other STIs. Anyone can walk into one of Latinos Salud’s four locations without an appointment or without needing to worry about insurance. They work under the Affordable Care Act to find policies for clients and pay the premiums.
The organization says it has provided 20,000 HIV tests a year and has doubled the number of clients on PrEP and staying in care to 4,000.
Beyond fostering better health, they foster a stronger community. Clients share in group activities like kayaking, biking adventures, and more.
Latinos Salud’s community-building social events are funded by a grant specifically for that purpose. However, the costs of the agency’s core health services always exceed what its grants can cover. Fundraising seeks to close this gap.
Latinos Salud’s gala took place the last Saturday in March, which was a particularly busy time for fundraisers due to a confluence of events. Latinos Salud had reserved its gala date on the Our Fund events calendar five months in advance, before any other nonprofit had marked the date. Despite another agency’s gala ultimately taking place on the same date, since both galas sold out, each organization maximized its potential fundraising match.
Latinos Salud is also investing in the future, believing the people they help today will pay it forward tomorrow. That is the hope behind their Health & Support Services Pride Scholarships.
Leo Gorgatti was excited and nervous when she found out she was being considered for a scholarship. But that quickly gave way to joy.
“Part of me lit up with joy when I entered the Zoom meeting and I saw familiar faces, people I could see myself in.”
But the help doesn’t end with a check and good wishes. The scholars are mentored as well. Juan Esquivel says that was an added bonus he never thought of until after the interview.
“[I’m] learning the importance of mentorship, and learning how to network and connect with people outside of my psychology bubble.”
It doesn't matter if it’s academia, health, community activities, or just giving someone a space to exhale and be themselves, the through line is Latinos Salud’s commitment to care.
“Latinos Salud supported me in my hardest moments here in Miami,” Carlos Silva said. “I was new, I was an immigrant. It made me feel like home. It made me feel like I was in a family.”
