Mano a Mano marks anniversary with gala

Mano a Mano Family Resource Center will hold its annual gala Saturday, April 11, at the Round Lake Beach Civic Center and Cultural Center.

The theme for this year's event is Milagros de Corazón, or Miracles from the Heart. Proceeds support programming at the nonprofit organization that strives to empower immigrant and underserved families of Lake County to become full participants in American life.

The gala will open with a reception and a silent auction at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and live auction with entertainment provided by Bataille Academie of the Danse of Barrington.

This year's gala not only celebrates the past year's successes, it also marks the organization's 15th anniversary. In September 2000, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center opened its doors and began basic services to connect families to community services.

Many of these families were finding it difficult to adapt to their new communities because they spoke little or no English, lacked a high school education and did not have an adequate income. Founded through the foresight of community leaders concerned with the needs of the rapidly increasing Latino population in the Round Lake area, Mano a Mano was established to impact the lives of immigrants in Lake County by connecting them to vital resources and services.

Today, Mano a Mano serves about 4,000 people each year through programs including citizenship, kindergarten readiness, adult education, and health education. In the past six months alone, Mano a Mano also has served as an enrollment site for health insurance coverage, assisting more than 400 individuals to gain health care coverage and educating more than 700 about the use of health insurance and the need for preventive care.

"We are privileged to be able to serve Lake County's immigrant families," Executive Director Megan McKenna de Mejia said. "The need for our services continues to grow and evolve, and we are working to fulfill our mission to empower our immigrant families and to create communities of opportunity. We are making a difference in their lives every day."

Tickets are $75 each; $750 for a table of 10. Major sponsors include ComEd, Intren, State Bank of the Lakes, Consumers Credit Union, The Beaubien Family, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, BMO Harris Bank, and Norstates Bank.

For more information, call (847) 201-1521 or email info@mamfrc.org.