About Us

Our Mission

To foster resilience and community building by honoring people’s wisdom, skills, and culture.

Our Vision

The vision that guides us is one of a Latinx community that is resilient, with strong networks of mutual support, actively engaged in local and regional level planning and decision making, knowledgeable, well-connected to organizations and institutions, and economically sustainable.

Our Values

We value the assets, wisdom, skills, and cultures of Latinx communities in Oregon.

We value the capacity of Latinx communities to produce change.

We value community participation in planning and implementation.

We value collaboration and partnership building.

We value an inclusive system in which Latinx communities have a place in decision making.

We value equity in accessing opportunities for community well-being.

Why ‘ANDARES’?

The ‘Andares’ word is an inflection of the verb ‘Andar’, which means ‘walking’. It denotes an ongoing journey across geographic borders as well as metaphorically.

Once settled in Oregon, immigrants from Latin America journey through a new culture, using their creativity and innate resilience to establish a space for themselves, learn a new language, deal with adversity, find jobs and start businesses, educate their families, share their traditions, and ultimately give their best to society. We are here to accompany and support Latinx communities in their journeys.