Since 1995 the Hispanic Liaison / El Vínculo Hispano (EVH) has addressed the needs of the Hispanic immigrant community. Over the past 10 years, EVH has developed a strong record of collaboration with local government, non-profit organizations, law enforcement, community health agencies and social service programs through our work with the Hispanic community. This trust, combined with our ability to build bridges of understanding across languages and cultures, places us in a unique position to address a variety of immigrant issues affecting Latinos in our community. At the same time, we serve as a community watchdog, documenting and advocating against injustices, from police wrongdoings and inadequate interpreting in the courts to civil rights violations. Our mission is (1) to foster cultural understanding among Latinos/as and other residents of Chatham County and (2) to empower Hispanics to overcome the challenges they face as immigrants and find their voice in the community.

The touchstone by which we measure our progress is based on the principles of Paulo Freire's popular education empowerment theory. Within a holistic framework, we seek to find answers and solutions authored by the community itself. This effort is accomplished by creating opportunities for the community to learn, dialog and problem-solve together, community-identified issues. Embracing the same principles internally, employee self-led teams conduct day-to-day operations with oversight from administration who acts as facilitator/coach.