IN THE NEWS

Published: April 2018 An Evening with ALAS, Local Latino Cultural Arts Monday, April 16, 2018 Community United Methodist Church, Half Moon Bay We are very fortunate to have Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga join us for our April meeting. Ms. Hernandez-Arriaga is the founder and Executive Director of ALAS, the Coastside’s own Latino Cultural Arts Program. Alas in Spanish means wings. ALAS is an acronym for Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, which translates to Believing in Latinos to Dream. As

Author: Linda Buchheim Published: August 9, 2017 People who came to the Community Center at Moonridge for the Aug. 1 “Night Out” enjoyed a warm and happy time. It was a “bridge-builder” that brought the Latino and Anglo communities closer together. It reminded us how important it is to reach out in new ways to new friends. And it made a real impact on most of us visitors. For me, it was a “how do you top this?” moment. The event was sponsored by Mid-Peninsula Housing and thei

There is a Monster in my House, Cultura Cura Uncovering 11 Milliones de Sueños: Understanding the Emotional and Psychological Experiences of

Published: October 30, 2016 HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KGO) -- ALAS translates to "wings" in Spanish, and is the acronym for the Half Moon Bay-based cultural arts program Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, which translates to Helping Latinos to dream. The program focuses on encouraging Latino children to thrive and succeed. The program originally started as an educational tutoring program, but has since expanded from those humble beginnings. What started with community leaders donating ti

Published: October 11, 2016 “Uno, dos, tres y cuatro. Una vez más!” If you end up near the Pescadero Elementary School on a Monday evening, as you approach the building you will hear the booming voice of Maestro Zenon Barron as he leads the Ballet Folklorico class, counting and showing his young students the steps. Barron commands the rapt attention of his young pupils, while their parents stand by quietly and watch. Many of the adults remember doing the exact dances in their

ALAS - Ayudando Latinos A Soñar Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS, which means 'wings' in Spanish) is the first Latino cultural arts nonprofit on the Coastside of Half Moon Bay. Founded by Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, ALAS aims to strengthen the rural Latino community by shining the spotlight on the wealth of rich cultural history of the families and children that live on the Coast. ALAS helps to develop the talents of local youth through the cultural arts of Ballet Folklorico, Ma

Author: Stacy Trevenon Published: May 1, 2014 Rich and robust mariachi music and the lively stamping of ballet folklorico poured from the Bell Building in Half Moon Bay. It was a rehearsal, as young children to adults practiced steps and strums last week. It was also the sound of families connecting with their culture. The group will perform this weekend to help celebrate Dia de Los Niños — the Day of the Child, when children are celebrated within the Latino culture. The perf

Author: Esther Hahn Published: May 7, 2015 Local youth band to perform with Famous Mariachis When mariachi music pours out of Cunha Intermediate School’s multipurpose room at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays, the rich sound of strings, trumpets and vocals belongs to the young musicians of Mariachi Media Luna. The local music program is part of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, or ALAS, a Coastside program dedicated to exploring traditional Mexican arts and to providing creative enrichment for th

Author: Tara Kyle Published: January 14, 2015 For Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, a typical day might look something like this: wake up in Half Moon Bay, take her daughters to school, drive to Berkeley for her job as a social worker, put the kids to bed, and squeeze in a few hours for the community organization she founded. In between all that, she has a dissertation to complete. While challenging, Hernandez-Arriaga’s experience as a doctoral student in the University of San Franc

Author: Bill Somerville, President & CEO Published: April 2014 PVF has been in the vanguard in its work. Over the years, we have consulted at 400 foundations in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. on creative grantmaking. We have published over 80 bulletins relating to effective foundation work, and we are willing to try new approaches to philanthropy such as 48 hour turnaround in giving grants and minimizing the application process to the point of paperless giving. We customize g

In 2011 ALAS' wings were born out of a local Social Worker's dream to create a space to celebrate culture, tradition and give a voice to the Latino youth and families of a rural coastside community. Believing that wellness and positive identity begins with honoring culture and tradition, ALAS was conceived from a determined community of volunteers, parents, youth and community partners that opened their doors for our program to begin. With the first dance of Ballet Folklorico