The non-profit Latin American Association is set to launch a business subsidiary, providing paid professional services to help fund the organization’s community assistance programs.

The unit will be called Lazos and will officially open its doors at a yearly open house on Thursday, Jan. 15.

Lazos is a Spanish word for “knots,” denoting the cultural and work connections the organization hopes to foster, said Laura Sauber, managing director of Lazos.

Most of what Lazos will offer isn’t new to the association, but the restructuring allows it to capitalize on streamlined operations and expand its reach in the business community, Ms. Sauber said.

Many of Lazos’ services hinge on the need for bilingualism in the workplace, especially in a market like Atlanta where the association estimates that the population is about 10 percent Hispanic.

The association offers Spanish classes at its Buford Highway offices as well as on-site instruction for companies looking for a convenient way to train their personnel.

The Atlanta Braves, for one, have used Spanish-language instructors to prepare their English-speaking staff to interact with Atlanta’s growing number of baseball-loving Hispanics.

And it works the other way around, too.  Spanish speakers who need specialized vocabulary and practical skills in English - like how to write an e-mail or compose a Powerpoint presentation – can request customized training.

Lazos will also continue the Latin American Association’s drive to help companies find and recruit workers. 

Even more so during the recent economic turmoil, “hundreds of job-seekers … come through our doors each week,” Ms. Sauber said. “On the business side, we partner with businesses that are looking to recruit.”

Last year, when Best Buy wanted to hire bilingual sales and technical support people for the holiday season, the association advertised and hosted a job fair that attracted 130 attendees and resulted in 25 hires on the spot, Ms. Sauber said.

The ssociation also hosts an annual career fair that draws big companies like State Farm, Delta Air Lines, Turner Broadcasting, Kroger, SunTrust Banks, Home Depot, Univision and many more, she added.

Lazos can also translate Web sites and promotional materials in both languages for a “below-market” price in addition to the legal document translation it offers to individual community members.

“We’ve had people show up in wedding clothes and need their birth certificates translated,” Ms. Sauber told GlobalAtlanta.

The Latin American Association has been providing development services and community assistance programs to Latin Americans in the metro area since 1972.

It has expanded as the population has grown in Atlanta and now has three more outreach centers in Marietta, Norcross and Roswell, said Sarah Marske, the LAA’s communications and public relations manager.

The association helps people meet urgent needs like food, clothing and housing assistance.  It also provides instruction and counseling on parenting, domestic violence issues and other family disputes.

As the economic climate has worsened recently, the demand for services has increased.  Attendance at employment seminars has grown, and “we literally cannot keep food and clothing in the office,” Ms. Sauber said.

Ms. Marske added that about half of Latin American students in Atlanta don’t graduate from high school and said “one of our goals is to strengthen the lives and enhance the educational opportunities for Latin American youth.”

For more information or to attend the open house, call Ms. Sauber at (404) 638-1821 or e-mail her at lsauber@lazosatlanta.com. 

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