By Clyde Hughes | AC JosepH Media
ATLANTIC CITY – Luis Rodriguez will be one of 10 people honored at the Nuestro Pueblo Awards in October, but he has been doing the hard work of raising the profile and hope of Caribbean immigrants in the area for more than a decade.
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Rodriguez studied at the Technical University of Santo Domingo and has a diploma in family health at the Catholic University of Santo Domingo.
Before coming to the Atlantic City area, he was president and founder of the National Cooperative of Multiple Services of the National Union of Dominican Nursing Services/ Cooperativa Nacional de Servicios Múltiples de la Unión Nacional de Servicios de Enfermería Dominicana, Inc., or COOPUNASED.
Rodriguez served as coordinator of the Maternal, Infant and Adolescent Program in Santo Domingo from 2002-2004 and from 2004-2005, he worked as a non-specialist assistant physician for the Dominican Institute of Social Security.
In a Question and Answer interview with Front Runner New Jersey Extra, Rodriguez talks about some of his goals and experiences since arriving in the United States some 15 years ago.
FRNJX: How long have you been president of La Casa Dominicana NJ, how did you get involved and why?
Luis Rodriguez: I was elected as president of the organization on Sept. 18, 2013. However, I started my community service at La Casa Dominicana of NJ as trustees in 2008 and shortly after I was nominated in the position of treasurer until the day I was elected as the president of the organization. Also, I worked in a program for HIV and other STDs prevention and during this time I met the president of La Casa Dominicana, and she invited me to participate in the meeting of directors and then the president invited me to be a board of directors member.
FRNJX: What are you hoping to accomplish with La Casa Dominicana?
Luis Rodriguez: Shortly after I started my time as president of the organization, we had the first board director members meeting, where I presented to the members of the board of directors and I said the need to update the bylaws. I began to work on updating of the bylaws and on Feb. 12, 2014, in Atlantic City the new bylaw of our organization were approved and signed by all the board director members. Shortly after we prepared all the documents and sent it to the IRS and we requested tax exempt status and on Sept. 25, 2014 we were approved as a 501 (c) (3) organization.
However, the community works of La Casa Dominicana began on March 20, 1995. Our organization has 25 years of community service. I am working hard with the support of the board of directors, the staff of our ESL and Naturalization program for we can have an organization capable of providing the services for what was created. on Oct. 11, 2016, the ESL program and citizenship preparation classes started. We have virtual and in-person classes.
FRNJX: How many people are connected to the organization?
Luis Rodriguez: So far 908 people follow our Facebook page and 3,234 people follow us on our website.
FRNJX: What do you want people to know about the organization and those involved?
Luis Rodriguez: I would like people to know our organization that the purpose of the “La Casa Dominicana”-The Dominican Home is to foster the involvement and interest of the community in New Jersey in civic, professional, social, educational, charitable, and to be able to celebrate and preserve the Hispanic culture, also preserve our roots, and take an active role in the sensitive problems of our community with a goal towards of betterment the live of all members of the “La Casa Dominicana-The Dominican Home NJ, INC." Everyone is welcome to La Casa Dominicana.
FRNJX: How does it feel to be a role model for young people in your organization and others looking to your organization?
Luis Rodriguez: I do not feel like being a model, I consider myself as a person with a vocation for community service and always concerned about serving in the most sensitive problems that affect our community.
FRNJX: Who inspires you today?
Luis Rodriguez: Today, my mother and other family members inspire me and also the community I serve with my community work inspire me.
FRNJX: Tell me something about yourself and family. Just whatever you would like to share.
Luis Rodriguez: I am the first child of my parents and I have five siblings. I graduated from medicine in my country, the Dominican Republic, where I worked in two institutions. My mom is a nurse.
FRNJX: Anything else you would like to add?
Luis Rodriguez: Before becoming a doctor, I was a nurse and a union worker in the nursing area. I was also the first president and founder of the Cooperativa de Servicios Múltiples of the National Union of Dominican Nursing Services, or COOPUNASED.
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