In a stylish corner of the Hyatt at Olive 8, downtown Seattle, the din of a party rose, spilling out into the lobby. Trays of cupcakes and rows of bubbling champagne flutes emptied gradually as a pile of children’s gifts grew steadily into a small mountain.

Elegantly dressed attendees brought Barbie dolls, remote-controlled cars, stuffed animals, winter coats and more to the Latino Community Fund’s second annual Champagne-Cupcakes Celebration and Toy Drive Wednesday night. Proceeds from the event benefited the LCF, while the toys and gifts would be donated to El Centro de la Raza’s José Martí Child Development Center.

“We’re doing these kinds of events to engage more people from the community in giving back,” said Peter Bloch Garcia, chairman of the LCF.

The true success of the night was the handshaking, introductions, and laughter—the cacophony of an emerging community.

“Our goal was to have 75 people in the room and I know we hit it,” said LCF board member Junior Torres who organized the event.

Torres said the event was intended to help develop a network of Latino professionals who are interested in the growth of the community. He said he wanted to see society blend: “Not assimilate, but integrate.”

For Torres, the visibility of the event was important and he selected the location because of its metropolitan profile.

“Normally, a lot of people would say, ‘Let’s have it at the neighborhood.’ I think that’s great, to support the neighborhood, but I think at the same time it’s important to make people think that there is another life outside the neighborhood that you can be a part of. I think you can support both,” he said.

Torres said that Latinos are often shy and keep to themselves instead of opening up to each other.

“I don’t want that,” he said, “We work as hard as everybody else, let’s take advantage of everything we have.”

Maria Cortés and her husband, Jesus, came from Kitsap County to attend the event. She said they came to meet new people and make connections.

“It’s very important that we help each other,” she said. “You never know, I might need their support.”

Cortés said the LCF is one of the first foundations that really help the Latino community.

Garcia said that the LCF was formed as a response to the absence of such Latino-conscious organizations.

“We decided to actually incorporate and formalize [the LCF] because we learned that private philanthropy and institutional philanthropy actually do not give much of their resources to communities of color, “ he said.

Garcia emphasized the importance of a philanthropic organization actually led by Latinos: “We are collaboratively engaging with our own community and deciding how we’re going to invest in that community.”

The LCF distributes much of its money through grants. This year the board invited about 50 community members to participate in selecting grant applicants. The LCF awarded $20,000 in grants this year, all of it to priority areas with what Garcia called “high social return on investment.”

Garcia stressed leadership as the area with the greatest value to the community.

“Empowering people who have not been given opportunities or equitable access to programs and opportunities, actually empowering them to be participants and be civically engaged has gotten higher return on investments,” Garcia said.

Rosamaria Graziani also spoke of the importance of empowerment. Graziani is a member of Mujeres of the Northwest and was part of the LCF grant selection committee.

“In our culture women are usually very submissive. We want to empower women, we want to give them a voice or we will disappear into society,” she said.

Mujeres is an all-female organization dedicated to raising funds for the community and focused on distributing them locally. The group recently donated $2,000 in books to El Centro de la Raza. They have also contributed money to the LCF.

“I want to bring to the LCF that perspective of women and of empowering women,” Graziani said. “Sometimes that half of the population is forgotten.”

Ally Cruz, whom husband Henry described as a “Latino lover,” was emphatic on the subject of Latina empowerment.

“Education is the most important in getting women in leadership roles, particularly Latina women, and it empowers the entire community,” Cruz said. “You empower, you give an example, and everyone can follow that and stand up and be strong.”

Cruz said her “number one, most important issue” was empowerment through education, but admitted that her reason for attending the event was the gift contribution.

The mountain of presents would be delivered to the 120 students at El Centro de la Raza the next day—a wonderful surprise made possible by the generosity of a few—an important theme for the night.

“A little effort plus a little effort makes a huge effort,” Graziani said. “We can be a huge powerhouse that way.”

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