Lady Gaga’s nonprofit, Born This Way Foundation, announced that Aliento, an Arizona community organization, was selected to a $75,000 scholarship.
The scholarship is part of the Kindness in Community Fund and a collaborative effort of the Born This Way Foundation and Cotton On that seeks to support organizations that focus on youth mental health.
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Aliento was selected for this scholarship for its program Cultivatewhich helps people of various ages who are undocumented, DACA recipients, part of the immigrant community or families of mixed immigration status, according to Aliento’s website.
Under this program, the organization offers workshops that support people impacted by deportation, detention or the threat of separation from family and loved ones. It enables healing through art, holding a series of events – art exhibition, storytelling nights and open mic – for participants to share their experiences.
Upon realizing that Aliento had been selected for the scholarship, Reyna Montoya, founder and CEO of Aliento, said she jumped a little from her desk.
“Well, it’s Lady Gaga, one of the founders… very cool,” Montoya shared happily.
That the organization was selected reminded Montoya of the days of SB 1070, known as the “show me your papers” law. Back then, when Lady Gaga had a concert in Arizona, she declared herself against the law.
That someone like Lady Gaga, who is not afraid to invest her money in organizations like Aliento, serves as validation for the organization and all its efforts because “the immigrant community is part of the Arizona community. When they support us, they are supporting the well-being of the state.”
After a young girl nominated Encouragement for scholarshipAlex Aide, program director of the Born This Way Foundation, said Aliento wrote a proposal outlining their Cultiva program.
Aide was left speechless.
Before the proposal, Aide had never heard of them, but said that in the seven years he has worked for the Born This Way Foundation, he has learned that there are many organizations that work to address specific needs of specific communities and the opportunity to learn More about organizations like this is one of the wonderful things about your job.
Contact reporter David Ulloa Jr. by email [email protected].
