MORRISTOWN, Tennessee — The new Hola Lakeway Center has opened its doors and the organization is hoping a larger facility will give them the capacity to provide more services.
"The population has been growing in the past years," Executive Director of Hola Lakeway Betsy Hurst said. "31% of the population now is an immigrant population based on Hamblen County Schools statistics."
The growing Latinx community near Grainger and Hamblen Counties has created a need for services Hola provides, including GED programs, interpreters, English classes and more.
People who move here from another country often need help getting on their feet. Hola provides job interviews, resume workshops and helps find housing.
"I came to the United States 20 years ago and didn't know how to start," Hurst said. "So I had to start from zero. My education did not count here. So I had to start going back to school, I had to do the GED."
Another thing they're excited to expand on with their new space is their children's programs. A new robotics program is coming, as well as a leadership program.
Hola Lakeway says they can't provide services without community support, and they'll need donations to keep up with donations. You can learn more here.