Paola Kosaka Mora
Paola Kosaka Mora
Owensboro Hispanic Church member and local notary Angeles Escalante organized a two-day consular outreach, May 14-15, 2026, designed to bring critical legal services closer to Hispanic communities in Kentucky, with Bowling Green Hispanic Church opening its doors to host the large-scale community event.
The event, called “Guatemala Cerca de Ti” (“Guatemala Near You”), was led by Escalante in collaboration with Guatemalan consulate officials. The outreach allowed immigrant families to renew passports, obtain birth certificates, and process dual citizenship paperwork without traveling long distances to larger cities.
Members from both the Owensboro Hispanic Church and Bowling Green Hispanic Church assisted by promoting the event, preparing the facility, and volunteering throughout the outreach. More than 500 community members attended the two-day initiative, coming from Bowling Green, Owensboro, Hopkinsville, Morgantown, Louisville, Glascow, Columbia, and more.
For many immigrant families, accessing consular services often requires traveling several hours to cities such as Nashville or Indianapolis, or even to North Carolina, making the process both difficult and expensive.
“Bringing the consulate closer removes a big burden for many people,” said Escalante. “So, the goal was serving our community and helping families access resources that are often difficult to reach.”
While the event focused on practical assistance, volunteers from both churches also helped families organize documents, make photocopies, and navigate the process throughout the day. The Bowling Green Hispanic Church additionally sold snacks and drinks for attendees as a way to fundraise for their new temple, and they handed out free Christian literature.
Escalante said she hoped the outreach would reflect the church’s mission of service and compassion.
“I think [community service] is a powerful way to share the Gospel through giving,” said Escalante. “Not because we expect something in return, but simply because we want to help others.”
For Escalante, the project was also deeply personal.
“I’ve been someone who was helped a lot when I was a kid,” said Escalante. “Now, I’m just grateful to be able to give back to the community in the same way my mom, my sister, and I were helped when we first moved [to the United States].”
In the future, Escalante hopes to continue partnering with other consulates to help more Hispanic families in the region access important documentation services closer to home.
Kentucky-Tennessee | October 2026
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