Feel Good Friday - Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas

Feliz Viernes! Cinco de Mayo is on Sunday and many organizations are planning events commemorating Mexico’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, including the Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas. 

Founded in 1999, the Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas (HOWA) is headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas. Their mission is “to advance educational opportunities for Hispanic women and their families, to celebrate and teach others about our cultures, and to become active participants in the community.”

Let’s start with the programs HOWA offers. The GEM Program (Guiding, Empowering, and Mentoring) provides language minority residents with educational programs and support systems to help them reach their full potential. Current offerings include free, weekly parenting classes and computer classes. 

The RAD Program, (Reaching for the American Dream) encourages civic engagement by “promoting naturalization assistance, registering voters, and updating political and election year information at the local, state, and federal level.” Citizenship clinics and voter registration information are parts of this program.

In addition, since the year 2000, the HOWA Scholarship Program has awarded 588 scholarships to deserving Latino students, enabling them to pursue higher education. You can see the 23 scholarship recipients from 2023 on the impact page.

Now on to the Cinco de Mayo event! Taking place on Saturday May 4th this year, the event commemorates the Battle of Puebla and brings the community together to enjoy live music and delicious food, and to learn about and embrace each others cultures while supporting a good cause. All proceeds from the event benefit the HWOA Scholarship Program. This is a great exemplification of the HOWA motto of "Celebrating Education, Culture, and Community.”

If you’d like celebrate Cinco de Mayo by supporting the Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas there are many ways to do so. Volunteer your time, donate your money and share the love on social media. Follow HOWA on Facebook and Instagram.