Since 1995 the Hispanic Liaison / El Vínculo Hispano (EVH) has addressed the needs of the Hispanic immigrant community. EVH has developed a strong record of collaboration with local government, non-profit organizations, law enforcement, community health agencies and social service programs through our work with the Hispanic community. This trust, combined with our ability to build bridges of understanding across languages and cultures, places us in a unique position to address a variety of immigrant issues affecting Latinos in our community. At the same time, we serve as a community advocate, documenting and advocating against injustices, whether it’s race-based discrimination, inadequate interpreting in the courts or civil rights violations. Our mission is (1) to foster cultural understanding among Latinos/as and other residents of Chatham County and (2) to empower Hispanics to overcome the challenges they face as immigrants and find their voice in the community.

EVH, like the local Latino population, has grown steadily and dynamically. Currently, we have six staff members and eight board members. Three of our staff are first generation Latino immigrants. Each year, we host a summer intern through Student Action with Farmworkers. Our office is open 3 days a week to walk-in clients (M, W, & F 8:30-1, 2-5:30); on average 15-20 clients visit our office each day.