January 26, 2024
JCCC club raises hope and funds for undocumented students
Latinos United Now and Always (LUNA), a campus organization of 50 members, led JCCC to become the first community college in the Kansas City metro area to win the Cambio Para Cambio Fundraiser Award in the college division from The Greater Kansas City Hispanic Development Fund (HDF).
“It was a speechless moment for all of us. Not only was it great to win this award, but it was really great to see that we at JCCC have the same drive as universities,” said Natalie Medina, incoming LUNA President. “For me, it was a wholesome moment … it's nice to see our hard work pay off and get recognized for a great cause.”
Cambio para Cambio (Change for Change) is a community-led campaign that seeks to realize the philanthropic power of Latino students, local businesses and professional organizations. The funds raised by LUNA support incoming JCCC students that are undocumented and receive the Hispanic Development Fund scholarship through a matching scholarship supported by the JCCC Foundation.
“I will forever vividly remember sitting at the awards dinner table, and when we saw our name was not on the slide for colleges/universities, we knew immediately that we had won,” said Terri Easley-Giraldo, Chair and Professor of Communication Studies and a LUNA Advisor. “We had worked so very hard … it was a very emotional moment to know that we had won this year.”
Latino culture connections
Successfully raising $14,647 to support undocumented students is only one arm of LUNA’s reach on campus. Its mission is to guide and support JCCC students in their academic career and provide opportunities to learn about and promote Latino culture. LUNA focuses on bringing cultures together by discussing immigration topics, hosting area events, participating in interviews on Telemundo, collecting online donations and selling T-shirts.
Who qualifies for Hispanic Development Fund scholarships?
Hispanic or Latino high school or college students who attend or have attended a Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area high school are eligible for scholarships. Those already in college must be enrolled in a fully accredited college or university.
Support LUNA’s future events
Stay tuned! LUNA is working on booking a well-known speaker to keynote a fundraising dinner in spring 2024 with hopes of attracting many members of the Hispanic/Latino community.
LUNA currently hosts biweekly club meetings, Latinidad, Hispanic Heritage Month, Cambio para Cambio fundraisers and a Dia de los Muertos event. Keep up with the latest about LUNA on Instagram.
Interested in becoming a member or supporting LUNA? Check out GetInvolved@JCCC.