“I think about my 20-plus years advocating for the safety and empowerment for women, and healthcare has always been core to everything we do,” says Mariana Rodriguez, director of the Latina Resource Center at United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS). “When women have resources and when they have options, they’re safer.”
The Latina Resource Center serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in the Latino community. Rodriguez has been with the center since its inception in 2001 when there were no cultural services available for the Latino community—only general services that were harder to access.
Immigrants and Spanish speakers who experience domestic violence and sexual assault face additional barriers when trying to get help—challenges like being undocumented, not speaking English, or finding legal representation. And now the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade only reduces the choices these women have when seeking refuge.
How It All Started
Twenty years ago, Rodriguez was part of a group of community members who came together to fill this need and provide Latins with more options. Thanks to the support of UMOS, those ideas became the Latina Resource Center, a separate space for the community now housed in the UMOS building on the south side of Milwaukee.
That initial steering committee had a vision of a center that offered long-term solutions and created real change for future generations. They wanted to make sure the children of victims were not falling into the same cycle and understood how to be advocates for themselves. So, they chose to focus on three main areas: financial solutions, legal help, and safety.
For Rodriguez, this work has always been personal. Growing up, she experienced domestic violence in her home. “It impacted me as a young woman. As a young girl, I was trying to figure out relationships and I promised myself that things were going to be different for me,” she says. Now she has two daughters of her own and wants to make sure they understand how to have healthy relationships.
The Growth of the Center
Rodriguez brings her personal and professional experience to her work and has helped the center grow based on the input from the people they serve. “This was created by the community for the community, and I truly believe this is their work,” says Rodriquez.
In addition to assisting with legal services, housing assistance, and answering crisis calls, the center now offers youth services to teach teenagers about healthy relationships and a program for children who witness domestic violence. All of these expanded services happened because of the center’s close relationship with the community.
There’s no question about the impact the Latina Resource Center has made over the last two decades. “I’ve learned a lot about women’s determination. They’re much more courageous than we really truly understand,” says Rodriguez as she reflects on her time at UMOS. “When we think they’re vulnerable, they are very much in tune to what they need for themselves and for their children.” The center has shown, when women are given choices and resources to advocate for themselves, they will thrive.
Learn more about the Latina Resource Center at umos.org.
Read the article on the Shepherd Express, part of the regular column Hero of the Month.