Hispanic Heritage Kick-off; Honorees impact in the community

The third annual Hispanic Heritage Kick-off, a family-oriented celebration with food, music, and an honoree who has changed the community, took place Sept. 15 in the Delaware Technical Community College, Owens Campus dining hall.

The celebration featured music and authentic Hispanic food cooked by members of Iglesias de Dios Maranatha from Seaford.

Cindy Mitchell, department chair of language, said, “Our job at the kick-off is to raise awareness and celebrate the heritage and culture.”

Along with the celebration, the kick-off honored a member of the Hispanic community that had a major impact, Pastor Israel Figueroa.

“I want them to understand the adversity the culture faces, especially our honoree,” said Mitchell.

Pastor Figueroa moved from Puerto Rico to Delaware in 1996, facing both financial and emotional problems while transitioning to a new culture, but Pastor Figueroa still found time to help his community according to material handed out at the kickoff.

Figueroa would soon get a job at Perdue to only later leave for a job at Delaware National Bank as a bilingual bank teller. After two years he left to become a full-time pastor at his church.

“He loves to get involved and really get the help out to the community,” said Jessica Mesa, occupational therapist and Iglesias de Dios Maranatha church member.

Figueroa said he has contributed to over 14 different organization. He says one of his best contributions was starting the annual health fair at the Iglesias de Dios Maranatha, which he says helped to save a young man’s life.

A young man came to the health fair and entered the booth where blood sugar was getting checked and found out his blood sugar was high and so high a health care professional called an ambulance to rush him to the hospital where he spent a week, said Figueroa.

Figueroa said during the time the young man was at the hospital he would go visit him.

Over a 12-year time period the health fair was a major need in the community. The need became so great that it led to the establishment of the La Red Health Clinic in Seaford.

For more information on Pastor Israel Figueroa, visit his church’s website at familiamaranatha.org.

Pastor Israel Figueroa holding up his gift from the community at the Hispanic Heritage Kick-off. Photo by J. Perez