Pierson was the place to be Oct. 16 as the Farmworker Association of Florida, Rising Against All Odds and other community organizations teamed up to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, an annual celebration of Hispanic culture and history that takes place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Attendees enjoyed food — like chicken, rice and beans, and cactus salad — fun, education and the opportunity to get COVID-19 vaccinations.
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PHOTO COURTESY MARÍA ELENA VALDIVIA
CELEBRATING HERITAGE — From left are Farmworker Association of Florida organizer María Elena Valdivia, Pierson Town Council Member Sergia Cardenas, Volusia Sheriff’s Deputy Orlando Nunez and Janet Arce celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Pierson Oct. 16. The group is holding flags representing a collection of Latin American countries, from Mexico to Guatemala to Cuba and everywhere in between.

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AWARENESS — Rising Against All Odds Manager Shannon Sargent, left, and founder Brenda Flowers operate a table at the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Pierson Oct. 16. RAAO co-sponsored the event with the Farmworker Association of Florida to help bring more attention to National Latino HIV Awareness Day Oct. 15. Flowers and Sargent were joined by Linda Irizarry, not pictured, who regularly makes trips to Pierson to help spread awareness about HIV.

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MIL MUJERES — Pictured, from left, are Mil Mujeres Legal Services Orlando Office Director Lina Duque and Repatriación Latina representative Julieth Romero. Mil Mujeres Legal Services and Repatriación Latina were among the organizations and agencies represented at the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Pierson. The two organizations provide assistance to Spanish-speaking people in the U.S. with various services. Mil Mujeres focuses on legal services for people who have suffered from domestic violence. “Many Americans need this help,” Duque said. “Many people suffer domestic violence, and they don’t know the tools.”

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ALL DRESSED UP — Farmworker Association of Florida Pierson-area organizer María Elena Valdivia poses for a photo in Tehuana dress, traditional garb from Oaxaca, Mexico. Valdivia gave special thanks to Piersonites Robin and Kelly Green, who paid the security deposit on the Pierson Community Center for the Hispanic Heritage Festival.

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TESTING — At left, representatives from Hispanic Health Initiatives, a West Volusia nonprofit organization, provide glucose tests to a Hispanic Heritage Festival attendee. Director of Operations Peter Willems said the organization provides education for Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals alike on chronic diseases like diabetes. “It’s not about going on a diet,” Willems said. “It’s about knowing what to eat and how to eat. It’s all about education.”

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SHOTS — At left, Florida Department of Health in Volusia County nurses, from left, Zyra and Jayme are on-site in Pierson to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. By the end of the Hispanic Heritage Festival Oct. 16, a representative for the Department of Health said, nine individuals had received COVID-19 vaccine shots.