To kick off Hispanic Heritage Month on September 15th a local non-profit will throw a celebration and their ultimate goal is to invest in the community.

It’s a local nonprofit radio station called Sabor Latino. Leaders say they want to drive home the importance of education.

One man says Sabor Latino is helping him strive for greatness.

“It’s harder to accomplish your goals and dreams if you don’t have an education,” says Paul Beltran a South Bend Resident and Sabor Latino Scholarship Recipient.

The importance of having an education really hit Beltran once he moved to South Bend. Beltran was born in Ecuador and says having a daughter opened his eyes.

“It made me have a different perspective on life and I was really passionate about having an education and pursuing my career goal,” says Beltran. 

Now he is studying biology at IUSB and has received scholarship money from Sabor Latino.

“It’s been tremendously helpful, we all know that school can be expensive,” says Beltran.

Ricardo Guerrero works for Sabor Latino and says over the past 12 years the station has been investing in the community by offering various scholarships.

“Sabor Latino works to giving scholarships to students. That’s the main purpose of the organization and it’s not only for Latinos everyone can apply,” says Guerrero. 

Over the years the nonprofit radio station has held events like the Latino Festivities Celebration in order to raise over $200,000 for hundreds of students.

“South Bend is a great city and it can be even greater. So we all together can make that possible,” says Guerrero.

And Beltran has a message for any one facing educational setbacks.

“Don’t settle, don’t conform, pursue an education and follow their dreams follow their goals and be able to have a good career so that they can ultimately give back to the community,” says Beltran.

The Latino Festivities Celebration starts Saturday at 3 p.m. The event will take place off Western Avenue behind the Maycrest building in South Bend.

The party is until 11 p.m. is free to attend and local vendors will be selling food.