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A group of diverse young adults and a middle-aged man posing together in front of a green banner with the words "EDUCATE TO ADVOCATE." The group is smiling, wearing matching gray T-shirts with a colorful logo, and some have name tags. They are standing indoors on a wooden floor against a beige tiled wall.
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Welcome to the Latino Ministries of St. Paul’s, Puentes!

What is Puentes?

Puentes is a Spanish word that means “bridges.” Puentes is a bilingual initiative based in Central Indiana, led by a group of Spanish-speaking high school students aiming to build bridges across diverse local communities through service, organizational development, education, advocacy, and outreach.

We desire to work with our faith community and the community at-large to advocate and support the cultures, traditions and the language of the Latino Community in our midst. Backed by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Puentes consists of youths passionate about making a difference in their community through projects, event planning, and leadership development. Students participate in advocacy and outreach in addition to deepening their understanding of issues affecting Latino and immigrant communities. Puentes students strive to foster inclusion and education, promote voices and advocacy, and grow as bilingual leaders rooted in both compassion and informed action.

Mission

Puentes aims to encourage student voices, promote cultural understanding and take action on issues that matter most to the communities they serve.

Goals

  • Plan and lead community events

  • Learn from Latino community leaders

  • Organize and attend cultural events

  • Strengthen ties between diverse communities in Indiana

  • Support bilingual and community advocacy

  • Participate in community service, serving in local communities

  • Create spaces for education, conversation, and change

History

  • Origins and initiation, pilot program, creation of mission and goals, program development (2023-2024)

  • Expansion and growth in the first running year, student-led program model and evolution of leadership (2024-2025)

  • Accomplishments in service opportunities, student-initiated events, contributions, etc. (2024-2025)

Two young women sitting behind a table displaying jewelry and handmade items at a fair or event, with others standing nearby and engaging.
Two women performing indoors, one playing guitar and the other singing into a microphone, with a basketball hoop in the background.
Three teenagers sitting behind a table with colorful striped tablecloth at a school event, talking to an adult man.
People attending a craft fair or market, browsing tables with handmade items, with decorations hanging from the ceiling.
A man with shoulder-length dark hair and a woman with glasses and colorful scarf smiling and posing together indoors, standing in front of a wooden door.
Two young women sitting at a table, smiling at the camera in a busy indoor setting with artwork on the wall behind them.
Two women wearing purple shirts sit at a table with paperwork and a laptop, engaging in a conversation with a person standing in front of them in a room with white brick walls and stacked chairs in the background.
Audience attending a presentation on immigration education in a large room with seated attendees, screens displaying presentation slides, and a speaker at the front.
A man giving a presentation on immigration titled 'Immigration 101' in a classroom or conference room. There is a colorful banner with the words 'Ducate to Advocate' and a logo with a globe and the word 'Puentes.' The man is speaking into a microphon
A woman and a man standing next to each other at a presentation or event. The woman is speaking into a microphone, smiling, and wearing a striped shirt. The man is holding a microphone and a sheet of paper, smiling, and wearing a checkered shirt. The
A woman speaking into a microphone at an event, with a colorful banner behind her featuring a globe and the word 'JENTES'.
Two women speaking at a conference, one holding a microphone, both wearing purple shirts with the message 'Love Your Neighbour', standing behind a decorated table. A colorful backdrop with the words 'ADVOCATE' and a globe illustration is visible.
A man in a gray suit speaking into a microphone at a podium covered with a colorful woven cloth, in front of a presentation screen and a banner that reads 'Advocate' and 'Entes'.
A woman with glasses and long brown hair speaking at a podium draped with a colorful, patterned cloth. She is holding a microphone and smiling. Behind her are a banner and a projection screen displaying information.
Young woman giving a presentation at a conference or seminar, holding a microphone, with a projection screen displaying slides behind her, and a colorful poster that says 'EDUCATE' and 'S' in the background.

Programs and Projects

    • Food Pantry: members connect with the larger community through volunteer projects such as at food pantries.

    • Donation Drives: Puentes aims to give back to the community with a yearly donation drive to help provide for the people in the surrounding area, as members collect clothing, food, and supplies to donate.

    • Schools: members are encouraged to incorporate education into their volunteer work, such as using their bilingual capacities for tutoring in various subjects.

    • Pulsera Project: an annual service project that Puentes participates in, educating and empowering Central American artists with U.S. students.

    • Involvement with the Spanish community

  • Puentes proudly participates in the Pulsera Project, an international nonprofit supporting artisan communities in Central and South America by distributing colorful, handmade bracelets (pulseras) to be sold by students around schools in the U.S., supporting global awareness and cultural appreciation. The proceeds are returned to the artists’ communities in Latin America to fund education, housing and social support programs.

    • St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry: Donations and Volunteering (November 23, 2024) Ahead of Thanksgiving, Puentes students collected food and essential supplies through school-based donation boxes to support local families in need. Students also participated in a volunteer day at the St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry in Indianapolis, where students helped distribute food and connected directly with community members.

    • Educate to Advocate Symposium (April 12, 2025) A symposium on immigration initiated by the student leaders of Puentes, focusing on U.S. immigration education and community justice. The event featured speakers from key organizations and institutions serving immigrant communities, including Exodus Refugee, Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, Bethany Christian Services and others. Angelin Fisher, Legal Counsel and Director of Immigrant Services for the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, presented Immigration 101 , offering participants firsthand knowledge of immigration laws and processes - and of the rights of those seeking citizenship. In addition to educational activity, students raised funds for La Plaza, Indianapolis' largest organization providing wraparound services to the Latino community, and other advocacy organizations through selling T-shirts, merchandise, and pulseras (handmade bracelets from Latin America).

Bi-monthly Meetings & Upcoming Events

View Calendar

Puentes Team

Photo collage of young people for the Puentes organization, showing the 2025-26 and 2024-25 executive board members, with names and titles listed below each individual.

Advisors & Affiliations

  • St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

    • Faith, Justice and the Arts Committee

    • Puentes Committee

    • The Rev. Jeff Bower

    • Brandon Fitzsimmons

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