Su Casa and the Seymour Parks and Recreation Department have partnered to bring events to the Latinx community in Seymour, starting with a screening of the popular film “Encanto.”

Nadia Herrera, Vecinas de Seymour coordinator for Su Casa, has been wanting to grow the Vecinas program to surrounding counties in efforts to bring more resources and opportunities to the Latinx communities.

In partnership with the parks department, Vecinas de Seymour (Neighbors of Seymour) held its first event Wednesday at Crossroads Community Park, where children participated in some arts and crafts before heading over to the Community Agency Building downtown to watch “Encanto” in Spanish.

“I think it’s always a great idea to bring different communities together, and we will support that any way we can,” said Stacy Findley, director of the Seymour Parks and Recreation Department.

The Vecinas program began in 2012 at Su Casa in Columbus in partnership with Family School Partners. As the program grew to nearby counties, Su Casa opened an office in Seymour in May 2020, and the Vecinas de Seymour program was activated in January 2022.

“Vecinas are trained volunteers in local neighborhoods who serve as a first point of contact for our clients,” Herrera said.

These volunteers help those in the Latinx community identify needs, keep individuals connected to the community and provide events to help educate the community.

“This is the first event that Vecinas de Seymour brings to the community, and Su Casa is excited for this,” she said.

The Vecinas de Seymour team is made up of five women, Rosa, Silvia, Mariela, Areli and Marilu, who work together to inform and help others in the Latinx community, many of them bringing their own families to the event.

“Some families don’t really go on vacation, so this gives the kids something fun to do for spring break,” Herrera said.

While this was the first event Vecinas de Seymour hosted, organizers also recently started tutoring programs, such as homework help every Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. on the second floor of the Community Agency Building and other cultural activities. Any other information from community partners is translated into Spanish and distributed throughout the community by the Vecinas team.

The first event started off with an arts and crafts activity at Crossroads Community Park completed with coloring pages of different artwork from the movie “Encanto” along with pipe cleaners that the kids fashioned into glasses.

With the breezy wind, the Vecinas team decided to show the film inside the Community Agency Building in the Jackson County United Way conference room on the second floor. The kids cozied up together on blankets with snacks as the movie began to play in Spanish with English subtitles.

Herrera and the Vecinas de Seymour team hope to bring many more events for the summer season as well as partner with other organizations.

In partnership with United Way, Su Casa has participated in different events that provide resources for the Latinx community and Jackson County, such as health fairs, school enrollments, vaccine clinics and the Rock’n Ready school supply distribution program hosted by Jackson County United Way.

This summer, Vecinas de Seymour and the Seymour Parks and Recreation Department are planning a Zumba class. This event will be for the entire community with a bilingual instructor.

Herrera said she and the Vecinas de Seymour team are ready to serve the community and invite other organizations to work together with them.

“The Latinx community is increasing, and Su Casa through the Vecinas program wants to be the bridge between cultures that connects the Latinx community with Jackson County,” she said.