{"id":3683,"date":"2026-09-23T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T14:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/?p=3683"},"modified":"2026-09-24T17:32:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T22:32:41","slug":"luna-brings-a-vibrant-community-to-jccc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/2026\/09\/23\/luna-brings-a-vibrant-community-to-jccc\/","title":{"rendered":"LUNA Brings A Vibrant Community To JCCC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Members of LUNA prepare for a group activity. Photo by Mike Kemper\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n<hr \/>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JCCC\u2019s Latinos United Now and Always (LUNA) is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 to honor the history and culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">During Hispanic Heritage Month, LUNA will participate in fundraisers to support the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Development Fund\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hdfkc.org\/cambio-para-cambio\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Cambio para Cambio<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">. It is a competition between local colleges to see who can raise the most money.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cWe go up against schools like KU, K-State, UMKC, and Rockhurst,\u201d said David Gabaldon, LUNA adviser.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Cambio para Cambio, stands for \u201cchange for change\u201d and<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202fis a community-led campaign that seeks to raise money for scholarships. The funds raised by LUNA support undocumented incoming JCCC students who receive the Hispanic Development Fund scholarship through a matching scholarship funded by the JCCC Foundation.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Events hosted by LUNA during Hispanic Heritage Month<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1080,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sept. 21 Bake Sale @ JCCC COM Tables 11 a.m.-2 p.m.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1080,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sept. 30 Chipotle Fundraiser 4-8 p.m.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1080,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Oct. 7 Tabling @ Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center 6-8 p.m.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1080,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Oct. 10 and\u00a011 Anchor Coffee fundraiser (More info TBD)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1080,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Oct. 12 Canes Fundraiser 4-8 p.m. 12056 W. 95<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> St., Lenexa, KS 66215<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1080,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Oct. 14 Bake Sale @ JCCC COM Tables 11 a.m.-2 p.m.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cSo, it&#8217;s kind of just fun, and it brings the community together,\u201d said Karen Chavez, LUNA president. \u201cThat&#8217;s why we do a lot of fundraising during that time.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In addition to Hispanic Heritage Month, LUNA brings a vibrant community to JCCC&#8217;s campus. They continue to host events throughout the year to bring people together. That is what Valeria Rocho-Ruiz, a member of LUNA, is most excited about.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI think just having outside social gatherings,\u201d Rocho-Ruiz said. \u201cBut I&#8217;m just really looking forward to being able to experience more of that and just getting to know more people in this group.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LUNA is an organization that supports Hispanic students. Its main mission is not only to support the Latina community but also to expand to other people and cultures.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cOur goal is to strengthen and just be a community to Hispanic students and all allies as well,\u201d Chavez said. \u201cJust to be a place where Hispanic students can feel safe and feel seen as well on campus.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LUNA is a community and a family. They want to host a big tent and welcome people of all nationalities to experience everything LUNA has to offer.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWe have a bunch of other students who aren&#8217;t Hispanic or Latino, who come join us and just hear, learn about the culture,\u201d Gabaldon said. \u201cSo, I think spreading the culture, spreading what our backgrounds are \u2014 we&#8217;re all different, we grew up in different places, with different family dynamics and all that.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rachel Hudson, a member of the Black Student Union, wanted to join LUNA so she could expand her thinking.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI figured that being a part of some other cultures would broaden my horizons culturally,\u201d Hudson said.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Chavez wants everyone to know that LUNA is for everyone, and all are welcome.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI feel like there&#8217;s a lot of people speculating that it&#8217;s just for Hispanic students or just for a certain type of group, but we&#8217;re open to everybody. If anybody wants to learn about the culture, just wants a place to hang out,\u201d Chavez said. \u201cEverybody&#8217;s welcome, and we also just wanted to make sure everybody knows that we&#8217;re a resource for everybody.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LUNA is a community and a family. They want to host a big tent and welcome people of all nationalities to experience everything LUNA has to offer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":3684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[342],"class_list":["post-3683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life"],"author_meta":{"display_name":"Saul Epstein","author_link":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/author\/sepstein\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/files\/2026\/09\/tempImageWpdSBH-300x144.jpg","coauthors":[{"link":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/author\/mike-kemper\/","display_name":"Mike Kemper"}],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/category\/life\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Life<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Life<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 3 days ago","modified":"Updated 1 day ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on September 23, 2026","modified":"Updated on September 24, 2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on September 23, 2026 9:00 am","modified":"Updated on September 24, 2026 5:32 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":342,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"mike-kemper","display_name":"Mike Kemper","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/files\/2026\/09\/tempImageWpdSBH.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3683"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3718,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3683\/revisions\/3718"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3683"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.jccc.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=3683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}