Perdue Farms is supporting La Plaza Delaware and its Latino leadership program with a $20,000 grant funded through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation.
La Plaza Delaware is a nonprofit created to increase opportunities and prosperity for Latino and minority-owned businesses. The donation is part of the company’s “Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors” outreach focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities.
La Plaza’s leadership program will aim to transform Latinos into leaders, focusing on Gen Z and Millennials. Around 50 people from across Delaware will participate in the first year.
“We want to help rising leaders develop the skills necessary to promote immediate and sustainable results for themselves and the organizations they serve,” said Mary Dupont, La Plaza Delaware executive director, at a press conference at Perdue’s Milford, Delaware, location.
La Plaza will use a nationally recognized curriculum from Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement that includes three months with programming content, networking and collaboration in a group project. Nuestras Raices, the nonprofit based in Wilmington, is a program partner. Additional funders include the Arsht Cannon Fund and the Delaware Hispanic Commission, which is also a program partner.
Delaware Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long said the state should be proud of the organizations that are supporting La Plaza’s leadership program.
“I am thrilled over the moon with the partnerships that we have here. This will make a difference in the lives of individuals who will go through the program…and to the state. We need to have true representation not only in workforce but in all leadership opportunities in our communities.”
Gary Miller, VP of human resources and interim chief diversity officer for Perdue Farms, said the leadership program will strengthen the region as rising Latino leaders use the skills they gather to further their careers and serve the community in many meaningful ways.
“We are so grateful for an opportunity to invest in a leadership training program for the Latino population, specifically, and partner with such wonderful organizations as La Plaza Delaware,” he added.
Funding from the Perdue Foundation will support HACE in southern Delaware, building on HACE’s record of professional leadership development, with workshops, mentoring and leadership training for emerging community leaders and entrepreneurs.
Delaware is the 37th state to join HACE. Since 1982, HACE has been a resource for Latinos in the workplace and is an expert for corporations seeking to access diverse talent. Through professional development, resources and networks, and by offering access to meaningful career opportunities, HACE helps Latinos succeed.
The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. The foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of its employees live and work.
