¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! Activities

Community activities are 2- to 5-hour collaborative events that bring together a variety of local, State, and national organizations to empower local Hispanic/Latino families and to promote SAMHSA’s Hispanic/Latino Initiative public education initiatives. Activities generally are held in communities with a large Hispanic/Latino population or in a community experiencing a new influx of Hispanic/Latino people.

Activities are excellent opportunities for Federal initiatives to get their messages to the grassroots level. These events bring communities closer together and provide a forum for Hispanic/Latino families to connect with local organizations.

The first group of rallies promoted phase I of SAMHSA’s Hispanic/Latino Initiative, Hablemos en Confianza, which is a set of Spanish-language and bilingual public education materials that encourage dialog between Hispanic/Latino parents and their children about the dangers of alcohol and drug use. The second group of activities promote phase II of SAMHSA’s Hispanic/Latino Initiative, ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina!, a bilingual public education initiative for Hispanic/Latino girls ages 9—14 and their mothers or caregivers.

Activities vary but can include presentations, speeches, workshops, exhibits highlighting local resources, health fairs, entertainment, dancing, and refreshments.

The number of people attending an activity depends on the resources and outreach efforts of the organizations involved. Activities have drawn anywhere from 200 to 2,000 attendees.

Activities are cosponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAT) and local community-based organizations.

Following the principles of community empowerment, we offer communities the opportunity to hold their own celebrations. For these “hold your own” activities, we provide guidance and support but do not attend the event. Learn how to hold your own activity!