Thousands Benefit from International Consulate Day Event Over the Weekend
In the city of Ladson, South Carolina, thousands flocked to the exchange park for the second annual International Consulate Day event, which successfully concluded this past Sunday. The event, organized by the Latin Exchange Club of Charleston, the Exchange Club of Charleston and the Charleston Hispanic Association, was deemed a massive success, with a turnout nearly twice as big as last year’s.
As per estimates, between four and five thousand people attended over the course of the weekend. The increase in attendee numbers was not the only measure of growth this event has experienced. Enrique Grace, the Charleston Hispanic Association President, stated “We probably had three times as many agencies here to help us. We had twice as many consulates to help us; ten times the volunteers here to help us. So, it was much, much bigger than last year.”
An Invaluable Service for the Spanish-speaking Community
The event was devised to serve as a one-stop-shop for Spanish-speaking residents, providing critical services and assistance from consulates of eight different nations: Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Chile, Spain, the Dominican Republic, and Argentina. The consulates were there to provide essentials like passports, birth certificates, and ID cards. The event also facilitated voter registration, an important service in consolidating the democratic process among the Hispanic community.
In addition, several health and human services agencies like the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the Palmetto CAP, the Shifa Clinic, and MUSC offered healthcare services to those who needed it. These comprehensive services made it a must-visit event for many in the local Hispanic community.
A Stepping Stone for Others
The idea of bringing together several consulates in one place at the same time was a novel one. Enrique Grace referred to Charleston as a “stepping stone” for such events. He said: “We were the first ones to come up and invite several consulates to be at the same place at the same time. It’s really paid off and now other cities have taken notice of that, and they want to mimic what we did here in their city.” From the success of this years’ event, it’s not hard to see why other cities are taking note.
Making Services Accessible
Bringing consulates to residents instead of the other way around was appreciated by attendees. Several consulates made the trip from all over the East Coast to provide their services in Charleston. Moises Bautista, one of the attendees at the event, expressed his relief at not having to travel far to access these services. He shared that he went to the event because his documents had expired, and he was relieved that these organizations would be in one accessible place.
Itzel Martinez from Consulmex Raleigh echoed these sentiments: “We come to them, so they don’t have to go the extra mile. So, we try to go the extra mile for them,” she said. This desire to lessen the burden on community members, many of whom struggle with access to basic resources, was a resounding theme throughout the event.
The Latin Exchange Club of Charleston, established on March 1, 2022, aims to raise awareness and support the Hispanic community in the Lowcountry. If the staggering success of this year’s International Consulate Day is any indication, their efforts are indeed making a marked difference.
Given the tremendous success and impact of this year’s event, all eyes are now on the International Consulate Day event of next year, with high hopes of it being an even bigger success.
