So while Halloween has been a fun day of dressing up as your favorite character that allowed you to go house to house collecting candy, as a child, a more serious and solemn celebration connects and continues into November . The Day of the Dead. (From History.com 10/18/2018) “The roots of the day of the dead celebrated in contemporary Mexico and among those of Mexican Heritage in the United States and around the world , go back some 3,000 years, to the rituals honoring the dead in pre-columbian Meso-America. The Aztecs and other Nahua people, living in what is now central Mexico held a cyclical view of the universe, and saw death as an integral, ever-present part of life.

Upon dying, a person was believed to travel to Chicunamictlán, the Land of the Dead. Only after getting through nine challenging levels, a journey of several years, could the person’s soul finally reach Mictlán, the final resting place. In the Nahua rituals honoring the dead, family members provided food, water and tools to aid the deceased in this difficult journey. This inspired the contemporary “Day of the Dead” practice in which people leave food or other offerings on their loved ones graves, or set them out on makeshift alters called ofrendas in their homes”.

There is much joy in having faith in unforeseen or unknown events such as these but the danger is that there are those who cannot or will not accept that the trek of the dead is so simple. That more sacrifice is required of the individual and the survivors left behind. That there is a need of giving up assets to the surrounding community and non-profit institutions. Then will you gain some sort of favor. I don’t want to influence anyone on what they should believe on “this” platform but I do know that there is joy in seeing defeated and unfortunate folks see light and happiness in their future. More so there is jubilation is following their recovery and they, in turn, paying it forward.

HPLA Charities aka Habitaciones Para Latinos Association has seen the wonder of success and survival of individual and families. We can take credit for making it happen. But like our country, state and county nothing is possible without us living soles. I have yet to have a dead person come out say life is really great in death and I can’t wait to go back. I know this sounds disrespectful but my point is that there are folks on the verge of death that need and should live longer because of the blessing they provide for those who love them. Through our history HPLA has documented many success stories but have many that have not been documented because problems were more important to solve than document. Code violations are a good example of undocumented success. Lawns mowed and brush cleared. Garages painted and resided. Hand rails outside and inside homes. Flooded basements vacuumed and dried free of mold. Fences rebuilt.

We look forward to a safe and fun fall season with lots of children laughing and having fun. Many adults adorned with Day of the Dead costumes & face paint. We look forward to the fight to do more for folks who, through no fault of their own, can receive the relief they deserve. While the resources for you and I may continue to increase remember there are those whose resources are dwindling and there will only continue survival with your charity.

Please use the donate button on our home page or cut and paste this link to get you there www.hplacharities.org/donate