Service recognized

Ladan Alomar's dedication to improving life for people in the Latino community of Amsterdam for the past 16 years began when she was a child in Tehran, Iran.

The executive director of Centro Civico of Amsterdam doesn't remember saving her allowance so she could buy things to give away to the less fortunate, but her mother recently pointed out that that's exactly what she did.

"My mother showed me a picture taken of myself as a nine-year old," Mrs. Alomar noted. "I was helping others even then, so I guess it has always been with me."

Honoree

Along with eight other women in the region, Mrs. Alomar was recently honored by the State of New York and Gov. George Pataki for outstanding contributions to their communities through science, business, teaching, and human and community service.

Mrs. Alomar, a parishioner of St. Pius X in Loudonville, was cited for her sensitivity to the multicultural needs of the Latino community.

"I wanted to be a positive influence in the lives of the people that live in this community," she said. "I wanted them to know that even though they may feel like they are alone, they have a network of support at Centro Civico that they can rely on to help them."

Helping in Amsterdam

Centro Civico provides information, guidance and support to the growing Latino population, and to the disadvantaged residents of the city.

Under her direction, the organization has grown from a handful of dedicated Latino community leaders and a budget of $100 in 1988 to a present staff of 30 workers and a million-dollar budget.

"It really has been an amazing journey for us," she noted.

Among its diverse services, Mrs. Alomar said, Centro Civico maintains the "only Hispanic AIDS support hotline in New York State" as well as tutoring and counseling services. The group also assists people in learning English, and adapting to cultural changes between their homelands and the U.S.

Mrs. Alomar plans to continue expansion of Centro Civico. "I hope to establish an intergenerational daycare center and cultural arts center at our site. We also expect to open a community kitchen, offering meals to the needy and seniors in the area," she said.

(4/14/05)