LAUP opens the door to its new building, in a celebration that encapsulates its growth as a Latino-serving non-profit and reminds everyone in attendance why it’s there and why the forward push must always continue.
Latin Americans United for Progress, commonly known as LAUP, was the first Latino-serving non-profit organization in West Michigan. It originated in 1975, when several grassroots organizations were flourishing. Because many shared a common goal, four of them united to create the Latin American Society, which eventually became LAUP. In the decades since, LAUP grew. Due to that growth, it reached a goal that once seemed impossible: to serve others from the comfort of its own home.
On Friday, October 31st of 2025, LAUP held an Open House to celebrate this great achievement and introduce partners, members, and the community as a whole, to the place it now gets to call home. Over the course of four hours, over a hundred people stopped by to show their support and appreciation for LAUP. Everyone who attended was welcomed with open arms and encouraged to eat some of the delicious appetizers that entrepreneurs from LAUP’s Small Business Hub kindly donated and try the drinks that Sun Title, the event’s generous sponsor, provided.
The celebration was a success, not simply due to the turnout, but because of the progress it represents. This progress is embodied through the story of Lupita Reyes, LAUP’s co-founder. Her journey is one of growth under constant duress, of perseverance in the face of adversity, of the strength and courage that Latinos consistently put on display as they work through the challenges life presents.
Lupita Reyes, LAUP, and a push for progress
“When I arrived in Holland in 1964, there were maybe five Latino families. We struggled to find homes, jobs, and acceptance,” Reyes says. In sharing her story, she conveys a reality other Latinos are all too familiar with. “People were even afraid to attend our first Fiesta because they heard that Mexicans carried knives and guns”.
“We proved them wrong. We celebrated. We grew.”
While remembering the battles she and many others faced is important, it’s perhaps the next part of the story that most deserves to be shared and highlighted: “We proved them wrong. We celebrated. We grew,” Lupita states. Hardship was only the beginning of a trek that led her to joy, success, and peace. The obstacles she came across showed her the issues that needed to be addressed, and in addressing them, LAUP was founded.
In the decades since, LAUP has expanded, reached thousands of people, and been in constant search for growth, which has not always come easily. There’s a permanent home for LAUP now, one where everyone is welcome and cherished. One where it is understood that, despite the challenges that may arise, Latinos will always push forward. Just like Lupita did. Just like LAUP hopes to help others do.
