Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1510185
Estrella Digital in Atlanta, Oasis 97.3FM in Augusta, and El Gallo 94.3FM for Middle Georgia. Regarding her commitment to expanding the platform for Hispanic voices to reach further, she stated, "We all deserve to have a say in decisions that affect us and in the building of a more equal and diverse future. Journalism is a powerful tool to achieve this, and my commitment is to continue working toward that goal." Empowering others She remains active close to home. During the pandemic, Pirela stated, NotiVisión "did a good journalistic job" by connecting with reliable sources to provide trustworthy, objective, and truthful information in Spanish to a community full of questions and fears about the global situation. This work of providing quality and responsible information made the community turn to us, trust our work, and let us know their needs, fears, and concerns. It was then that we discovered another need: the community needs to be attended to and heard. That's what we did. We began to reach out to people who have supported us since our beginnings, such as organizations and small business owners, to bring resources to our community: COVID-19 vaccines and testing events, food distribution, voter registration campaigns, Census 2020 campaigns, among others. Many of these events were conducted with bilingual teams (to make the Hispanic community feel more comfortable and attended to). I believe that the community no longer feels alone or neglected; they now know that they have a team that can support and represent them in various areas." As a board member of De Mujer a Mujer, a nonprofit group open to any woman of Hispanic heritage, Pirela helps to serve "serves young ladies and women from age 12 and beyond in areas such as, but not limited to, holistic mental health, financial stability, and spiritual growth with the intention of developing a better, more rounded individual." Through conferences, workshops, scholarships, support groups, and education-focused fellowship, De Mujer a Mujer empowers and encourages Central Georgia Latinas. Pirela says this mission extends into her work at NotiVisión. "NotiVisión Georgia also aims to empower members of our community, especially Hispanic women entrepreneurs. We have organized workshops and informative talks in both the business and personal spheres. We want people to educate themselves, learn, develop their skills, and grow." Like Velez, Pirela believes that fostering connections among people of all backgrounds is the way to a better future. Pirela stated, "My commitment is to serve the community at large, regardless of their origins or nationalities. I firmly believe that the language of respect, trust, effective communication, excellence in service, and hard work are universal values that unite us as human beings. Through these values, I have had the opportunity to build meaningful and collaborative relationships with people from various parts of the world, demonstrating that trust and mutual understanding can overcome any cultural or geographical barrier. I am committed to continuing to work on promoting these values to build a more inclusive and supportive world." Pirela and Velez: connecting the community in 2023 Pirela and Velez may have what the media would call "competing outlets," but together, they are making a huge difference in Central Georgia. More than just breaking news, their online videos, publications, appearances at local events, and untold story coverage bring a sense of belonging to their communities, breaking down barriers that disconnect Spanish- and English-speaking locals. For Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 through October 15 every year, both Velez and Pirela helped lead events to celebrate the cultures in our community. Velez organized his annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Smiley's Flea Market (6717 Hawkinsville Rd, Macon) on Sunday, October 1, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. It featured live music from different bands, traditional dances, food, contests, and so much more. Pirela was an organizer of the Macon-Bibb Hispanic Festival, which took place Saturday, October 7, 2023 from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Rosa Parks Square (701 Poplar Street, Macon). This was the second year the event featured live music, dancing, food, vendors, and entertainment for kids. These Hispanic leaders are working to celebrate and connect cultures in our community. The journeys to their goals may look different but have the same end goal - to reach more people and bring them fully into the heart of Georgia. Truist.com Truist Bank, Member FDIC. © 2022 Truist Financial Corporation. Truist, the Truist logo and Truist Purple are ser vice marks of Truist Financial Corporation. Care isn't just what we do at Truist—it's who we are. We make sure people around us feel supported and more in control. We find out what's important to our clients, and make it important to us. We get involved in meaningful ways with our communities. Why? Because real connections and real care create better outcomes. Now that's powerful. When you start with care, you get a different kind of bank.