Hartford Public Library board member Ana Alfaro speaks at the opening of the new Park Street Library @ the Lyric on Oct. 2.
By Tricia Haggerty Wenz
Ana Alfaro is a local television host, a coordinator of volunteers for Eversource Energy and gives back to her Hartford community in so many ways, including serving on the Hartford Public Library Board of Directors.
She was recently selected as a “Frog Hollow Hero” and was featured on a mural in her neighborhood as part of a project by the Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (SINA).
Congratulations on your mural!
It is the ultimate honor for me and I still can’t believe it! Driving by and seeing my face? Oh my gosh! The volunteers and artists did a fantastic job. I am so grateful to SINA and I hope this project continues and we can honor more unsung heroes in our community doing important work in Frog Hollow.
Tell me about your path to Hartford.
I was born in Honduras and then came to the Bronx with my family when I was 13. Many years ago, Hartford began a campaign to recruit Latino police officers. A number of my family members applied and became police officers. We moved up here for that opportunity and I never looked back.
How did you adjust to your new world in Hartford?
When I moved to Hartford, I discovered NBC Channel 30 — Adelante Spanish TV show. It was through that station and television show that I learned about all that was happening within the Latino community. It was not only a source for opportunities and resources for me, it was also a source of ways to give back to the community. The station opened my eyes to volunteerism and I began getting involved with more and more groups. Eventually I realized that hosting a TV show is something I can do as well. And so, I began my own TV show. And now “El Show de Analeh” is in its 15th year.
I am not sure there is a bigger champion of giving back to the community than you. You have volunteered for countless organizations in Hartford.
For me it is like an addiction – a good addiction! And in some ways and extension of my family. It is humbling to see the difference you can make sometime with just giving a few hours to an organization and the community. Our most recent toy drive distributed 500 toys to community agencies serving children and teens. The mission of the Analeh Annual Holiday Toy Drive is to bring Christmas joy to children and it was accomplished thanks to the generosity of so many donors, toy recipient agencies, all the volunteers and the community.
You played such a big role in making the new Park Street Library @ the Lyric happen.
This was a project of more than 30 years in the making. A group of us have been wanting to see that happen for so long. It is a transformative project for the Library, Park Street and the entire community. I am so happy to see that dream come to life.
Part of your volunteer works include being a board member to the Hartford Public Library. How do you see the Library serving the Latino community?
“The Library is so much more than books and can be life-changing for people in our Latino community – especially when it comes to our health and preventive topics around health. I am especially proud of the work the library does around immigration and supporting immigrants through classes like ESL and many other resources. The Library is a one-stop shop and has helped so many people move forward. “
“A place like no other. That is so true.”