READY FOR THE CHALLENGES AHEAD
As we approach five years of community organizing in Atlantic City, we take this moment to reflect on our journey, honor the unwavering dedication of our community members, and extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of our community partners. Your support, whether through collaborations, mentorship, or simply by showing up and being present, has been essential in strengthening our capacity to serve and uplift our community.
Together, we can continue to build this movement that educates and empowers "El Pueblo" The People. And together, we can continue to provide meaningful support and resources for our community, no matter the challenges that lie ahead.
On December 16, 2019, a bus filled with community members from Atlantic City and Pleasantville, NJ, traveled to Trenton, joining immigrant justice advocates for a historic final push to pass A4743, the Driver’s License for All Bill. That day, our members witnessed the power of community organizing as the New Jersey statehouse approved this landmark legislation for the immigrant community.
On the way back home, celebration turned to realization: Atlantic County has never had a sustainable organization dedicated to organizing and advocating for our working-class Latino and Immigrant communities. That night, El Pueblo Unido was born as a grassroots response to fill that void and to protect and defend our community.
¡El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera Vencido!
The People United Will Never Be Defeated!
In 2022, El Pueblo Unido transitioned from an all-volunteer effort to an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit, laying the foundation for a more sustainable movement that could develop new community leaders while also addressing the well-being and mental health of our organizers. In 2023, we secured our first round of grants from local Atlantic City foundations, including the Thrive AC Fund, the Atlantic City Community Foundation, and the Atlantic City Community Development Block Grant. These grants helped expand our range of services, increased our administrative capacity, and broadened our impact.
Now, in 2024, we’re pleased to announce we received our first state-level grant from the Latino Action Network Foundation! With the support of Dr. Jesselly De La Cruz and her team at LANF, we now have the resources and tools to expand staff and interns, coordinate volunteers, and further strengthen our organizing capacity.
Building capacity remains a top priority, as resources for our community remain limited across Atlantic City, Pleasantville, and other areas throughout South Jersey. A key initiative to address this challenge is our 2025 Community Needs Assessment, designed to document the systemic issues impacting working-class Latino immigrant families. This assessment will explore critical gaps in housing, healthcare, education, and other essential areas while analyzing barriers such as food insecurity and limited access to services. By understanding how community members interact with local institutions, our Community Needs Assessment will provide actionable insights to address resource gaps and pave the way for a stronger, more equitable future for all.
Our Mission
El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City is a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate, empower, and organize Latino and immigrant communities throughout Atlantic City, Pleasantville, and South Jersey.
Our Model
Born out of the need to address both immediate and long-term community issues at the local, state and federal level, El Pueblo Unido operates under a hybrid nonprofit model, combining elements from various traditional nonprofit structures to maximize impact:
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Service Delivery Org – To address the immediate needs through legal, social, and educational services in order to create stronger and healthier communities.
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Community-Based Org – To develop community leaders who advocate for our fair share of resources and ensure our voices are heard at decision-making tables.
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System Impact Org – To examine the root causes of inequality affecting our community and address systemic issues through public policy.
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Network Management Org – To build a coalition of local community, business, recreational, labor, and faith groups while joining state and national alliances to increase our community's collective power.
Our Programs
Designed to encompass a range of services (direct service, indirect service, advocacy, and research) our programs aim to address the variety of challenges faced by our community. We are currently offering limited services with plans to expand to our full range of envisioned programs as we continue to grow our capacity.
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Legal Services – To provide pro bono legal assistance, organize volunteer legal clinics, and establish an ICE Detention Rapid Response network consisting of attorneys, advocates, and community members.
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Social Services – To ensure community members can access resources, regardless of immigration status, by providing support with appointments, applications, accompaniment, translations and referrals.
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Transformative Education - To integrate traditional educational services, including ESL and citizenship classes, small business development, and workforce training, with consciousness-raising Know Your Rights workshops and service learning activities.
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Civic Engagement – To foster civic participation and community representation through municipal meetings, voter registration drives, issue-based canvassing, and advancing a community-driven public policy agenda.
Our Values
We fight for justice and dignity in our community by working to achieve:
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Family Justice – To defend immigrant rights, promote family unity, and oppose policies that criminalize, dehumanize, or separate loved ones.
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Worker Justice – To champion fair wages, worker protections, and protections against exploitation, unsafe conditions, and wage theft.
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Tenant Justice – To call for safe, affordable housing for all tenants and oppose negligent landlords and discriminatory practices.
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Youth Justice – To support quality education, mentorship, and leadership opportunities for immigrant youth in safe, supportive environments.
Our Outreach
We engage our community in a culturally competent and meaningful way, and over the last five years, we have worked tirelessly to earn the trust of our community members.
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Community Meetings – Our members are meeting across four committees:
Immigrant Justice, Tenant Justice, Worker Justice, and Youth Justice to tackle the pressing issues impacting El Pueblo. -
Mobile Community Center – We bring resource tables directly to trusted community spaces, such as local grocery stores, soccer fields, and churches, removing barriers to access.
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Cultural Resource Festivals – We organize special events year-round that celebrate our culture while connecting community members with resources and services provided by our partners.
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Digital Organizing – Using social media and text systems, we reach thousands throughout South Jersey with updates and resources in Spanish, keeping our community informed and connected.
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Future Community Center – We are working to establish an Immigrant Resource Center in Atlantic City, a true home for El Pueblo, where our members can gather, access information, and organize. This hub will foster education and empowerment as our community unites for a stronger future.
At El Pueblo Unido, while our voice and strategy are driven by the strength and needs of our community, our dedicated Board of Directors provides the administrative support necessary to turn community priorities into action for justice. You’ll be able to read more about our Board Members in December with the launch of our official website, where we will also announce our new Board Members joining us this upcoming year!
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Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez, Board President
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Victor Moreno Contreras, Board Secretary-Treasurer
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Accepting Applications, Legal Service Chair
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Dr. Robin Hernandez-Mekonnen, Social Service Chair
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Accepting Applications, Transformative Education Chair
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Accepting Applications, Civic Engagement Chair
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Cristian Moreno-Rodriguez, Ex-Officio & Executive Director
Meet Our Immigrant Justice Fellow: Ashley Ramirez
Since July 2024, Ashley Ramirez, a senior Political Science Pre-Law student at Stockton University, has brought her passion for justice and academic expertise to our team. Ashley is helping to lead our 2025 Community Needs Assessment and driving policy research and civic engagement efforts! Ashley recently trained with the National Day Laborers Organizing Network and joined New Labor's Deferred Action For Labor Enforcement (DALE) legal clinic, where she helped workers apply for temporary protection and work authorization for cases involving employer labor abuse investigations.
El Pueblo Unido continues to tirelessly provide essential legal, social, and educational services, uplifting and empowering hundreds of community members through direct services and thousands more through vital information.
Over the past year, we have made significant strides in supporting our members, including hosting three ESL class modules for over 50 students while preparing to accommodate another 300 individuals on our waitlist. Our services include Application Assistance, including helping families as enroll their children in NJ Family Care regardless of immigration status and helping small latino business owners with paperwork for various local and state programs. Through Appointment Assistance, we have helped members secure crucial meetings with the Mexican Consulate and NJ DMV to obtain IDs, passports, and birth certificates. Our Accompaniment Assistance has supported individuals attending USCIS appointments and guided small business owners through processes like obtaining mercantile licenses. Additionally, we provide Translation Assistance, offering both in-person and certified written translations, including support for domestic violence survivors filing initial police reports. Our Community Partner Referral Program has connected members to critical resources, addressing emergencies by securing short and long-term housing with rental assistance, combating food insecurity, and distributing essential items like toiletries, backpacks, clothing, and holiday meals.
July
Last year, El Pueblo Unido joined the state coalition fight to shut down New Jersey’s last immigrant detention center, the Elizabeth Detention Center. Along with 27 other organizations, we joined an Amicus Curiae Brief in Murphy v. CoreCivic, supporting the New Jersey Government's legal battle to end private detention centers. The case is currently before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals but until then the state law banning immigrant detention centers in New Jersey is on hold.
In July 2024, we joined advocates from across New Jersey in the fight against a proposed second detention center at Delaney Hall in Newark. Now, alarming developments regarding the future of detention centers in New Jersey and across the United States have surfaced, as plans for a third immigrant detention center in Trenton, NJ, have come to light.
August
Thanks to Atlantic City Electric and the Organization of Latinos in Exelon (OLE), our young students attended the ACE-Celerate STEM Summer Program, gaining hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering, and math, paving the way for future Latino STEM leaders!
September
We proudly co-hosted the 1st Annual Mexican Independence Day Festival in Pleasantville, NJ, with Organización Azteca, bringing over 1,000 community members together to celebrate our customs and traditions while also connecting our community members to resources from over 20 social service agencies and community organizations.
View The Event Highlights Here Or Click The Video Below!
In partnership with the Chelsea Economic Development Corporation, we celebrated small Latino businesses and multicultural flavors at the 5th Annual Empanada Challenge and Fiesta. Over 450 community members enjoyed diverse cuisines, traditional music, folkloric dances, and resources from over 15 social service agencies and community organizations.
View The Event Highlights Here or Click The Video Below!
October
El Pueblo Unido is honored to be a part of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, a coalition of over 50 immigrant justice organizations. Together, we organized to introduce the Immigrant Trust Act (S3672/A4987), a vital bill ensuring immigrants can access resources from state and local agencies without fear of deportation.
Visit The NJAIJ Site To Learn More!
We were honored to support the Atlantic City Arts Foundation’s 100th mural celebration at Cardinal Restaurant with translation services and community outreach. The mural by Latina artist Manuela Guillén showcased art’s power to unite and share our stories.
Visit The AC Arts Foundation Site To Learn More!
November
In partnership with Ducktown CDC, Noyes Arts Garage, Atlantic Cape Community College, Organizacion Azteca, and the Hispanic Association of Atlantic County, we hosted Atlantic City’s 1st Annual Día de Los Muertos Celebration, bringing together over 400 community members. The altar contest was won by "DJ Dew," created by Brighton Ave School in honor of Micah "Dew" Tennant.
View Community's Altars Here Or Click On The Video Below!
El Pueblo Unido participated in two key strategic planning events: the New Jersey Assembly, organized by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, and the Amigos Scenario Planning Conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by national leaders like United We Dream and the American Civil Liberties Union. Together with fellow advocates, we focused on creating strategies to protect and uplift our communities
El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City, joined by other Latino and immigrant community representatives from the Hispanic Association of Atlantic County and the Spanish Community Center recently met with Stockton University Leadership, including President Joe Bertolino, Board Chairwoman Nelida Valentin, Vice President Brian Jackson, and Dr. Merydawilda Colon of the Stockton Center For Community Engagement. The discussion initiated a dialogue aimed at fostering collaboration in order to better serve our Latino and immigrant communities in South Jersey.
We express our deepest gratitude to the following organizations that have elevated our efforts by providing essential resources and services to our community members at our events: Aetna Better Health of New Jersey, AmeriHealth, Atlantic Cape Community College, AtlantiCare, Atlantic City Arts Foundation, Atlantic City Electric, Atlantic City Free Public Library, Atlantic County Division of Public Health, Atlantic County League of Women Voters, Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, Atlantic County Workforce Development, Avanzar, Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City, Chelsea EDC, Community Affairs and Resource Center, Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Center for Family Services Juntos Program, Gateway Community Action Atlantic City, Jewish Family Services (JFS), JDAI Community Engagement Committee, La Casa Dominicana, Latino Action Network Foundation, Mexican Consulate of Philadelphia, Multicultural Services of Atlantic City, NJ CEED at Shore Hospital, NJ Courts, NJ State Library Talking Book and Braille Center, Oceanside II Family Success Center, South Jersey Family Medical Center, Stockton UNIDOS & the Spanish Community Center.
We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the following student organizations and their members for generously dedicating their time and energy to serving our community through their volunteer efforts: From Stockton University the Mexican Student Association, Honduran Student Association, Guatemalan Student Association, Chi Upsilon Sigma Latin Sorority, Minorities in the Law & Los Latinos Unidos of Atlantic Cape Community College.
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Know Your Rights Presentations: El Pueblo Unido will host a series of Know Your Rights presentations on immigration, including on Deportation Defense, in order to provide crucial information and resources for our community.
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Trenton Takeover: Save the date for the Trenton Takeover on December 9th at the Trenton Statehouse, where NJAIJ members, including El Pueblo Unido, and allies will gather for a Lobby Day and Rally in support of the Immigrant Trust Act.
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New Mural Coming to Atlantic City: El Pueblo Unido is collaborating with Fidel Rendon and "Filez" Gunzalez on a mural on California Avenue celebrating Mexican and Chicano art. Featuring the bold message, “Aquí estamos y no nos vamos” — We are here to stay.
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Statewide Call For Collaboration: El Pueblo Unido is part of the Host Team for a statewide initiative supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, New Jersey Health Initiatives, and Gathering Ground. This effort will unites organizers to expand justice for immigrants, voters, BIPOC communities, and workers.
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Join The Movement! Select an action below to stand with us in the fight for justice, dignity and respect for El Pueblo, The People!
