Half Moon Bay nonprofit Ayudando Latinos A Sonar offers immigration advocacy, mental health services to farmworkers

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- On this Day of Giving, all of us at ABC7 and our parent company, Disney, are hoping you'll consider support for nonprofit organizations that make our communities stronger. Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, or ALAS is a Latino centered nonprofit that is invested in providing cultural arts, education, social services, and mental health to Latino families, children and farmworkers in the community.

At ABC7 News at 3 p.m. Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, the executive director and Elkin Lopez, an eighth grade volunteer, joined Kristen Sze to share more about the organization located in Half Moon Bay.

GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE: Full list of organizations across San Francisco Bay Area to donate to

Lopez shared how ALAS provided him and his family help when he immigrated from Honduras to the U.S.

"They gave us a lot of support, they gave me a lot of opportunities," Lopez said. "They gave me confidence, because I feel like ALAS was a new family for me. Thanks to the to the programs they offered, I was getting used to the style of living in the U.S."

Lopez shared that he's now volunteering with ALAS every Saturday morning.

"I help distribute food to the community because since epidemic began, many people not only in this community, but in our world have, and still have difficulties to buy services, including food."

He's also giving back by sharing his story with others.

RELATED: ALAS holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony for new center

Executive Director Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga said they just opened a new home which she hopes will allow for more programming for the community to come together.

"We're really excited to have a new home that we can open doors for more programming for youth, for our mothers, fathers, farmworkers, a community in general, to be able to come in as a collective and create a space for services for healing for sharing for celebration."

During the pandemic, Hernandez-Arriaga said there has been a larger need for basic services like food and are hoping the new space will allow for more opportunities to care for the community.

DAY OF GIVING: Here's how to help in your community

Donations will keep their food pantry open and provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for farmworkers.

You can learn more about ALAS and donate on their website here.