IN THE NEWS

Experience the joy of our new mural unveiling at the ALAS Wellness Cultural Arts Center! Watch the video to see how this vibrant artwork celebrates the beauty, strength, and spirit of the Coastside Latino community.

South Bay and Bay Area leaders are pushing for new local zoning policies and moratoriums to halt the development of private ICE detention centers. ALAS stands firmly with regional advocates in this effort, emphasizing that blocking these facilities is a matter of protecting public health and restoring humanity for immigrant families living in fear.

Bay Area leaders have announced a new strategy utilizing zoning laws and temporary moratoriums to block private ICE detention centers from the region. ALAS CEO Dr. Belinda Arriaga stood alongside community advocates in strong support of the move, declaring, “We cannot stand one more child to be impacted by the horrors of ICE and detention.”

ALAS celebrated the final day of its free three-week Summer Camp for Coastside children in grades K-8. The program provides children with access to cultural arts, academic enrichment, outdoor adventures, nutritious meals, and mentorship at no cost to families--opportunities that are often out of reach because of the high cost of summer camps in the Bay Area.

Three-week program combines cultural arts, academics, outdoor adventures, meals, and mentorship at no cost to families, July 13- July 31, 2026. HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — For many families, summer camp is a cherished childhood experience, but one that often comes with a significant financial barrier. Full-day summer camps can cost hundreds of dollars per week, with many specialized programs costing even more, making these opportunities out of reach for many working families. To

The Half Moon Bay City Council has voted unanimously to place the 555 Kelly Ave senior farmworker housing project on the November ballot. The proposed 40-unit complex, which will feature a dedicated ALAS farmworker resource center, requires a simple majority from voters to proceed.

The Half Moon Bay City Council voted unanimously to send a proposed 40-unit affordable housing project for senior farmworkers at 555 Kelly Avenue to voters in November, after months of community debate.

The Half Moon Bay City Council has officially placed the fate of the 40-unit Kelly Avenue farmworker housing project on the November ballot. A simple majority vote will decide the future of this essential development for retired agricultural workers, a project that is being closely watched by both local community advocates and state leaders.

Why is it so difficult to build desperately needed affordable housing in Half Moon Bay? Following a state lawsuit over local housing law non-compliance, this news report breaks down the bureaucratic roadblocks stalling critical projects meant for our community's agricultural and essential workers.

Caught between a state lawsuit and local opposition, the Half Moon Bay City Council is deciding the immediate future of the 555 Kelly Ave housing project. ALAS and Mercy Housing continue to champion the 40-unit development, fighting to secure desperately needed, dignified homes for the Coastside's aging agricultural workers.

The future of the 555 Kelly Ave senior farmworker housing development will be in the hands of Half Moon Bay voters this November. ALAS and Mercy Housing continue to advocate for this vital 40-unit project, pushing back against delays to secure safe, affordable, and dignified homes for the essential agricultural workers who feed our community.

A local petition is forcing the Half Moon Bay City Council to either rescind its prior approval of the 555 Kelly Ave senior farmworker housing project or leave its fate to voters this November. ALAS, co-developing the project alongside Mercy Housing, is ready to take the campaign to the ballot box to secure this critical housing for the community's aging agricultural workers.

New partnership will strengthen ALAS's (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar) digital strategy and help share the stories of Latino farmworkers and families with a broader community of supporters and advocates. For more than a decade, ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar) has been a beacon of hope for Latino farmworkers and essential workers on California's Coastside. What began in 2011 with a simple but powerful vision—to honor the hopes and dreams of Latino families through culture and commu

By: Alise Maripuu Published: June 30, 2026. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, founder and CEO of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS), cuts the ribbon on a new mural in downtown Half Moon Bay on Friday, June 26, 2026. It was painted by Rafael Blanco, a muralist whose public art can be seen throughout the country. (Jeff Regan via Bay City News) A crowd of farmworkers, city officials, residents, and members of Half Moon Bay’s immigrant community recently celebrated the completion of a vibr

By: Alise Maripuu Published: June 29, 2026 ALAS Board President Lili Rey; mural artist Rafael Blanco; state Sen. Josh Becker representative Gabriella Morales; Supervisor Ray Mueller representative Marisol Escalera; Beatrice Hernandez; ALAS founder Belinda Hernandez Arriaga; a Ballet Folklorico dancer; Felix; and Half Moon Bay City Manager Matthew Chidester cut the ribbon on the new mural. A crowd of farmworkers, city officials, residents and members of Half Moon Bay’s immigra

By: CBS News Published: 27 of June, 2026

By: Warren Pederson Published: June 27, 2026 Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, founder and CEO of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, speaks Friday at the unveiling of a mural commemorating the Latino community in downtown Half Moon Bay. The strength and spirit of the Latino community resonated Friday evening with the unveiling of a mural in downtown Half Moon Bay. The mural wraps around the headquarters of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar and depicts themes that define the community organization’s m

By: Desiree Luo Published: June 24, 2026 A new mural, commissioned by Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, features a folklórico dancer. It will be unveiled Friday, June 26, (ALAS) Half Moon Bay is getting a new public art installation. The nonprofit organization Ayudando Latinos A Soñar plans to unveil a mural celebrating Latino culture at its downtown headquarters Friday, June 26. Created by Spanish-born artist Rafael Blanco and produced by filmmaker Oscar Guerra, the artwork spans th

ALAS Unveils New Mural Celebrating the Beauty, Strength, and Spirit of the Latino Community on the Coastside

From June 11–14, ALAS had the privilege of participating, for the second consecutive year, in the international gathering Migrants and Refugees in Our Common Home, held in Tenerife, Canary Islands. The event brought together organizations, university professors from across the globe, and individuals united by a shared purpose: to build a world where migrants and refugees are welcomed with dignity, compassion, and hope. This year's gathering took place in Tenerife, a particula

By Bay City News PUBLISHED: May 7, 2026 555 Kelly Ave. affordable housing project in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (Image: City of Half Moon Bay) (BCN) — The Half Moon Bay City Council voted Tuesday to approve a ground lease with the developer of an affordable housing facility for older farmworkers, marking a major step in moving the years-long project forward. Councilmembers Robert Brownstone, Patric Jonsson, and Vice Mayor Deborah Penrose voted in favor of the lease agreement while

By KPIX | CBS NEWS BAY AREA PUBLISHED: May 6, 2026

By Bay City News Service PUBLISHED: May 6, 2026 Supporters of an affordable housing development for older farmworkers celebrate after the Half Moon Bay City Council approved the project’s lease agreement in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Alise Maripuu/Bay City News) The Half Moon Bay City Council voted Tuesday to approve a ground lease with the developer of an affordable housing facility for older farmworkers, marking a major step in moving the years-long pr

By Alise Maripuu, Bay City News PUBLISHED: April 30, 2026 Rendering of a proposed affordable housing development for older farmworkers at 555 Kelly Ave. in Half Moon Bay. (City of Half Moon Bay via Bay City News). Nearly two years after first approving a plan for an affordable housing development for older farmworkers, the Half Moon Bay City Council on Tuesday introduced an ordinance to approve a lease agreement with the developer. The special meeting to evaluate the proposed