International Friendship Center works hand-in-hand with Hispanic community
IFC director of social services, Andrea Smith was born in Colombia and Blue Ridge Early College alumnus, and social worker for the IFC, Karla Magaña-Almanza, was born in Mexico and moved to the United States when she was 10 years old.
National Hispanic Heritage Month is a period from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States.
In Highlands one group works daily with the Hispanic community on the Plateau.
The International Friendship Center was founded by the Missions Committee of the First Presbyterian Church and the Outreach Committee of the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, along with their church leadership, in 2002. Both congregations felt strongly that the community’s immigrant workers faced many access barriers to healthcare, legal assistance, banking, housing, schooling, etc., so the IFC focused on providing services and on bridging the gaps to those services.
Prior to the Great Recession, the IFC had grown to have a staff of three people and had developed a rich variety of services and programming.
Years later, a group felt a need for a food pantry to serve immigrants and locals; as a nonsectarian fiscal agent or sponsor was needed, the IFC was asked to become the umbrella organization for the Highlands Food Pantry.
IFC director of social services, Andrea Smith was born in Colombia, but moved to the United States when her family decided to make a new start.
“My father was a computer engineer in Colombia and my mother owned several clothing shops before we moved to Miami,” Smith said. “I moved to Miami when I was five because my parents wanted to be closer to my mom’s family in Miami.”
Smith vacationed frequently in Highlands, and met her husband, Highlands native Josh Smith, while in Orlando, Fla.
“I moved all around central Florida for a while before ending up in Orlando,” Smith said. “I didn’t really feel a difference in Miami and Colombia, because I left Colombia when I was five. With Miami having a very rich Hispanic culture, everything blended for me.”
After visiting Highlands for a high school reunion, the Smith family decided to make Highlands home.
“When Josh told me that he wanted to move back, I said let’s go,” Smith said.
The IFC provides several different services to the Hispanic community including food security with the Highlands Food Pantry, translation services for medical and dental treatments, housing and utilities, parent/teacher conferences, court appearances, immigration appointments, access to information about DACA applications, travel for minors outside the U.S., powers of attorney, and interpretation and translation support for U.S. Passport applications and renewals.
Smith said the Hispanic community in the Highlands-Cashiers area is massive.
“They are all behind the scenes,” Smith said. “They are all working in Highlands and Cashiers and need us to help them. A lot of them are grateful for the services that we provide.”
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for Smith to celebrate her roots.
“Colombia is a beautiful place,” Smith said. “The food is great, and the people are educated, friendly and helpful. This month is a time where I get to celebrate all of that.”
Blue Ridge Early College alumnus, and social worker for the IFC, Karla Magaña-Almanza, was born in Mexico and moved to the United States when she was 10 years old.
“We like to keep the traditions around in my family,” Magaña-Almanza said. “We go back every Christmas to visit family.”
Magaña-Almanza’s father works in construction in Cashiers and her mother works at High Hampton.
“My father knew some people here in Highlands-Cashiers, so he came first,” Magaña-Almanza said. “About a year later, the rest of my family came here.”
After volunteering with the Hispanic Vaccine Clinic in Cashiers, Magaña-Almanza found herself in a new job.
“Three months ago, I was in grad school wondering what I wanted to do,” Magaña-Almanza said. “I knew that I wanted to give back to the community. So, I volunteered with the vaccine clinic, because I’m bilingual. While I was there, David Moore, the board chair of the IFC came up to me and offered me a job.”
Knowing the difficulty of being in a new country without speaking the language, is what Magaña-Almanza said drew her to working for the IFC.
“I always knew that I wanted to give back to the Hispanic community,” Magaña-Almanza said. “I have been in their shoes before, coming to a new country and not knowing the language. So, I knew I had to give back and this job allows me to continue to help my community.”
She said Hispanic Heritage Month gives her the opportunity to celebrate her culture.
For more information on the IFC, visit their website at internationalfriendshipcenter.org.
- By Christopher Smith