CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — After seeing success last summer, a Chesterfield town hall focused on Latino business development is returning. For a second year in a row, Chesterfield County will host “Café con la Comunidad.” The event focuses on business development and employment services tailored to Spanish speakers.
Participants will have the opportunity to ask key county economic officials questions in Spanish during a question-and-answer session.
The officials will wear headphone translation devices to allow for simultaneous interpretation to engage directly with Spanish speakers.
Latino business owners, like America DeLoach of the Latino Farmer’s Market, will share their stories and journeys about what it takes to succeed in Chesterfield County.
The event is on Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Manchester Middle School’s auditorium on Hull Street Road.
“We really just want to make sure that county resources are accessible to our community, but also that we're listening. As a local government, we have this powerful ability to convene local partners and bring different people to the table,” said Dalila Medrano, Chesterfield’s multicultural community engagement coordinator.
Chesterfield is home to more Latinos than any other locality in Metro Richmond, according to recent census data.
“We’ve seen a rise of about 143 percent. Almost 50 percent of Latinos in our region live in Chesterfield County. We’ve been very intentional and thoughtful about how we are building out different opportunities,” she said.
Medrano described a grassroots effort with community partners to reach local Latinos who may not be subscribed to traditional media channels about local events.
“In the course of the last two weeks, we’ve been posting flyers and all of that. I've been trying to do boots-on-the-ground work,” she explained.
Interested residents can also submit questions and pre-register for the event at Chesterfield’s official “Café con la Comunidad” webpage.
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