On April 9th, 2016, Saheli welcomed New Hampshire State Representative Latha Mangipudi to our monthly meeting to discuss her constituents’ challenges and future opportunities for collaboration with Saheli.
Representative Mangipudi is the first Indian American to be elected to the New Hampshire State House, and was re-elected in 2014 to represent Ward 8 in Nashua, NH. A Speech Language Pathologist by training, Rep. Mangipudi is a strong advocate of public education and a robust health care system. She is involved in many community, education, and charity initiatives.
The Southern New Hampshire district that Rep. Mangipudi represents is one of the fastest growing regions in the Northeast. Recently many Bhutanese refugees and immigrants from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan have moved to the area. Rep. Mangipudi told Saheli that she has been working with local and state agencies and officials; educational institutions; nonprofits (such as Bridges, which provides support to Southern NH survivors of domestic and sexual violence); and a statewide social services coalition to assist newcomers in obtaining resources to help them improve their lives. She expressed her intent to bring more attention to the issues that women, particularly young mothers, in her district face.
Saheli and Rep. Mangipudi made plans to collaborate on projects throughout 2016-2017. One of the first tasks will be to link Saheli’s helpline and website with domestic violence agencies in Nashua. Rep. Mangipudi then will organize a meeting among Saheli and leaders of several Asian groups in Nashua to discuss how a task force of Nashua residents can address issues affecting women of color and their families.
If you wish to volunteer or join these initiatives, please contact Rep. Mangipudi.
