Member News

Mission
Strives to be the main organization in the City of Lebanon to assist community members through educational and cultural programs.

Vision
To provide educational and cultural support to help the community through programs that empower families while increasing the quality of life in the City of Lebanon.

   Though Juntos de Lebanon, a nonprofit, cultural and educational organization, was officially founded in 2013, its origins trace back to 2004. From 2004 through 2005, a group of individuals from the Lebanon community worked together through the local Spanish radio station. After the Spanish radio station closed down, they started meeting at the Hispanic Center in Covenant United Methodist Church. Their mission? To promote Hispanic culture and cater to the specific needs of the Spanish population.
   Now, ten years later, Guadalupe Barba is the last, original member of the group that met at the Spanish radio station. Guadalupe owns an authentic Mexican restaurant with her husband, Sergio, called La Placita. Originally from Mexico, Guadalupe has a master’s degree in politics and culture and over 20 years of teaching experience. Guadalupe met her husband when they were both teaching music in Mexico, and it was Sergio’s work that brought their family to Lebanon, PA.
   With La Placita located on the first floor, the second floor serves as the center of operations for Juntos de Lebanon. Members from the local community joined together to help clean, paint, and transform this space into a welcoming classroom.
   Juntos de Lebanon is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to working together with the local Lebanon Valley community to provide educational and cultural activities and to address the specific needs of Lebanon’s Hispanic population. Guadalupe explained that some of these specific needs include helping individuals to set up their own email accounts, providing translator services, and informing individuals where they can receive vaccines and other medical services.
   Juntos de Lebanon also provides ESL classes for two different learning levels. They teach literacy through La Casa Amiga, a program through the Mexican Consulate.
   “People [in the program] can read and write, but they never formally got grades,” Guadalupe explained. “When they finish with the [ESL] program, they get a certificate.”
   Guadalupe stated that Pennsylvania has three La Casa Amiga programs, and Juntos de Lebanon’s ranks second. In addition to ESL classes, Juntos de Lebanon also started offering citizenship classes at the beginning of November of this year. On November 21, Juntos also partnered with the Mexican Consulate to provide passport services at St. Benedict’s Church in Lebanon. These classes and programs help to empower individuals and instill them with confidence, while simultaneously strengthening and uniting the community.
   Most of Guadalupe’s students are bilingual, and she expressed her belief that knowing how to read, write, and listen in English, knowing how to utilize computers, and being good citizens are all things which are good for the local community.
   However, while learning English and understanding the idiosyncrasies of the Lebanon Valley community are essential, maintaining cultural ties is likewise vital.
   “In our minds, we have our culture. In our hearts, we have our friends,” Guadalupe said. “When we come to a new place, we bring that with. We need support so we don’t lose it.”
   Guadalupe sees a change happening in Lebanon, and it’s a good change. She sees individuals in the local community being more open and receptive, willing to work with one another as a team to promote unity and acceptance. One of the best examples of this is the recent Hispanic Gala which took place on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College Lebanon Campus. HACC, the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, the City of Lebanon, and Juntos de Lebanon all partnered together to host the event.
   It is this collaboration which Guadalupe feels can fuel and promote the colorful, extensive diversity apparent in Lebanon.
   “When your mind is open to other people and other opportunities, it’s a good thing,” Guadalupe said. “Juntos is for all people who want to know and learn about Hispanic culture.”
   What’s truly impressive is that with all of their projects and activities, Juntos de Lebanon receives no outside funding. All of their office materials, school supplies, and furniture are donated. Guadalupe is currently working on a grant application through the United Way of Lebanon County. Guadalupe is always looking for donations of paper, pens, and whiteboards for her classroom and for volunteers willing to devote their time to teach and share their talents.
   What’s most rewarding for Guadalupe is when she sees all of this volunteer time and hard work paying off. She sees working for Juntos de Lebanon and working for the community as a mutual exchange – everyone working towards the common goal of improving the Lebanon community.
    Anyone interested in learning more about Juntos de Lebanon and their mission can contact Guadalupe at 717-222-7948 or guadalupe_barba@yahoo.com.mex. Guadalupe can also be reached through La Placita, located at 922 Cumberland St., open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. through 8 p.m.