Community

By Melissa Arroyo Juan Alarcon was once homeless, getting by with next to nothing and couch surfing while also attending school. Now, he’s looking to help others who are struggling. Working 40-50 hours per week and attending school, Alarcon received his high school diploma and an associate’s degree from Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley through a dual credit program. Looking back, …

By Paula Alzate In 1981, Manuel Reyes took a leap of faith. That year, Reyes and his wife Clara established Dos Mundos. Now based in Kansas City, Kan., the now-weekly bilingual newspaper is celebrating its 36th anniversary of serving the Kansas City area’s Hispanic community this month. “I worked as a welder for a long time,” Reyes recalled recently. “That’s …

By Melissa Arroyo For the first time since its beginning in 1986, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce has nominated a Hispanic business to its Top 10 Small Business Award Program. The chamber bestowed the honor during the Mr. K Awards in early May. Paleterias Tropicana made the list, along with other local prominent businesses. “We were very fortunate …

By Melissa Arroyo Growing up, Dos Mundos contributing writer Dermidio Juez-Perez knew he wanted to be a dad someday. During Father’s Day last year, he had a feeling. “I told (my wife), that she was probably pregnant,” Juez-Perez said. “She was like, ‘There’s absolutely no way.’… After we went for dinner that night, she bought a pregnancy test and it …

Story by Emiliano Gross and photos by Michael Alvarado On June 2, a group of Latino artists got to showcase their work to prominent Kansas City area figures. They did so that night during the Latino Art Festival’s VIP reception, held at Hallmark Cards Inc.’s Union Hill Studio in Kansas City, Mo. Those who attended were exposed to a mix …

By Paula Alzate Former Kansas City area resident Kathy Ramon-Venable is part of a growing trend in education: parents and grandparents going to college and getting a degree. Ramon-Venable received her bachelor’s degree in social work in 2014 from Park University and her master’s degree in social work in 2017 from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. …

By Chara Vicente Sanchez knew he wanted to help the community – and felt that he could do so by opening a cellphone dealership. In May 2005, Sanchez followed through with his desire to help others by opening Macky Cellular, the first Hispanic prepaid cellphone dealership in Kansas City, Mo.’s Northeast area, with his family. The business recently celebrated its …

Commentary by Dermidio Juez-Perez If you’ve ever been in a car accident, you understand the shock a person experiences after the unexpected event. Normally, I’m good at thinking on the spot. But when I was involved in an accident in 2016, I didn’t know what to do. To make sure you don’t find yourself in a similar state of confusion, …

By Chara After a 10-year-old boy from Olathe, Kan., died during a 2016 incident at Schlitterbahn Kansas City, the Kansas City, Kan., water park is focused on providing safety and a fun environment for all its visitors. To ensure the safety of all visitors, the park will have a licensed lifeguard on site. In addition, the park is conducting daily …

A Kansas City, Kan., building has been transformed. PPG Colorful Communities, a program that combines community assets with donated PPG products to enhance, protect and beautify neighborhoods, announced on May 31 the completion of the State Street Project, a youth empowerment center. According to a PPG spokesperson who requested anonymity, PPG has committed $10 million to the Colorful Communities program …