HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-10-28-NHCHLC Minutes
NEW HANOVER COUNTY HISPANIC/LATINO COMMISSION
Location: Government Center, Room 136
October 28, 2025 – 5:00pm
Commissioners in attendance: Andres Afanador, Amanda Boomershine, Janeth Howard, Maria
Rodriguez, Wiyie Sang, Rafael Toro
Staff in attendance: Linda Thompson
Commissioners absent: Joe Casares, Lambeth Chalk, Natalie Picazo, Gustavo Rodea, Edelmira
Segovia
I. Call to Order and Agenda
II. Approve Minutes
Approved
III. Chair Comments
None submitted by Joe
IV. Old Business
Project Updates
o Health & Wellness (Andrés)
Focus on dental – reaching out to dental clinics (ECU, former St Mary’s,
CFCC)
Cape Fear Smiles – social media only in English, offers Care Credit and
FundIt (both require DL and SSN), two office members are bilingual, form
is in Spanish
CFCC - $20 to work slowly with dental hygiene student for cleanings
Dental Care Day @ Carolina’s Dentist on Nov 15
UNC School of Medicine / SEAHEC / Dr Pino – UNC Med students rotate
through MedNorth which offers sliding scale
ECU Dental School in Bolivia – offers sliding scale
o Economic Development (Janeth)
Focus on how to open a bank account
o Education (Rafael)
HB 805 impacts on classroom libraries
Access to NHC Public Libraries for Hispanic families
o Public Safety & Disaster Preparedness (Amanda)
Focus on how recent immigration policies and actions are affecting public
safety in our area
Deputy Chief Sotelo with WPD willing to come to upcoming meeting
Invite El Cuerpo to upcoming group meeting to discuss their disaster
preparedness initiative
Organize Spanish disaster preparedness drill with local first responders
around language access – Linda's suggestion
V. New Business
Wilmington’s National Cemetery (Rafael)
o 28 Puerto Ricans buried in National Cemetery in Wilmington (1918); unnamed
tombs
o Dr Jan Davidson with NHC Museum could be good contact for this
Annual Report / Presentation
o March 2 @ 4pm
o Linda will request this date
Reschedule or cancel November and December meetings?
o Motion: no meeting in November \[approved\]
o Motion: move December meeting to December 9 @ 5pm \[approved\]
Ukrainian Christmas Festival
o Missing coverage from 2:30 – 7:30pm for the HL Commission
SNAP Funding Suspended starting November 1
o $4 million shortfall in local economy and family food assistance in our area
o 23,000 NHC residents receive SNAP benefits
o Food Bank food finder: https://foodfinder.foodbankcenc.org/
o NHC is meeting with the Endowment to see how they can support
o Are school lunches going to be affected by this? > Not as of yet but Linda is
checking
VI. Upcoming Events
November 4: Election Day
November 8 – 9: Amigos Festival Latino, Ogden Park
November 15: Dental Care Day @ Carolina’s Dentist \[volunteer\]
November 16: FaithAction ID event, 9am, UNCW Morton Hall
November 18: Latino Alliance Meeting, 12pm, El Cuerpo @ Christ Community
Church, 4555 Fairview Dr. (back entrance, 2nd floor)
November 22: Ukrainian Christmas Festival
December 9: NHC HLC meeting @ 5pm
VII. Public Comments
What is the goal of the Economic Development group?
o Support the communication with education on the importance of and how to
open a bank account
o Hector recommends we work with credit unions
Is the FaithAction ID accepted at the local dental clinics / charity care programs?
o They said driver's license but Maria will follow up.
VIII. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 5:56pm