Sociedad Latina

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Thank You for Joining Us!

What an amazing event of inspiration and celebration to cap off our 50th-anniversary event series! Thank you to those who supported us at the Museum of Fine Arts on October 9 for a beautiful and joyous evening packed with guests from across the city and numerous Sociedad Latina alumni. Through sponsorships, ticket sales, and donations during the event, we added over $200,000 towards the $6 million dollars raised to date for our Capital & Growth Campaign! We are only $1.2 million dollars away from our goal. Your support is instrumental in providing a renovated space for Sociedad Latina's next 50 years!

The Call to Give and silent auction raised over $12,000! Our sincerest appreciation to those who were willing to raise their paddle or bid on their favorite item to help support the next generation of Latino leaders. We will be following up with each of you next week to make sure you received your special gift!

For those who were not able to make it, there is still time to be part of this historic moment and urgent need for Sociedad Latina. You can still give to our Capital Campaign, as we have another $1.2 million to go to complete the funding for our renovation of 1530 Tremont Street and securing critical programs for thousands of youth.


Actor and activist Manny Pérez speaking at the Gala

Keynote speaker John Cruz urged attendees to prioritize creating opportunities for these young people to have a chance at income and equity, just as he did in building out his own company with an investment in low-income communities and people of color.

Actor and writer Manny Pérez shared how he wrote Washington Heights as his response to the inequities in the film industry, and how he personally sees the invaluable role of organizations like Sociedad Latina:

“I wish Sociedad Latina were around when I was growing up they would’ve helped me out so much and I‘m sure many of my friends as well, instead of us hanging on the corner looking for trouble, we would’ve been in Sociedad Latina creating our art.”

We thank José Massó who brought his energy and passion as our wonderful emcee, and Jeff Sánchez who presented a heartfelt recognition to all our donors who made possible the acquisition and renovation of our permanent home in Mission Hill. Special thanks to Iván Espinoza-Madrigal who inspired many to raise their hands during our live Call to Give. Closing out the evening on a perfect high note was the Sociedad Latina Alumni Band.


Hundreds gathered to honor fifty years of serving Sociedad Latina youth, many of whom have been engaged in Sociedad Latina's holistic, intensive, and long-term programming that has supported them on the pathway to educational and professional success. The gala program featured an alumni panel who shared their stories, including David Martinez, the current Outreach Director for Education for Excellence, Natasha De Leon, a NYPD Police Officer and proud mother, and Yajaira Alvarenga, a freshman at Northeastern University.