By Isabel Flores

TOLEDO, OH — “Raíces is where we come from.”

With that phrase, Claudia Annoni sums up the meaning behind her new project, an initiative focused on language and culture that aims to help organizations, businesses, and individuals better understand the Latino community. After years of involvement in social work, community programs, and nonprofit projects, Annoni is beginning this new chapter with the goal of building bridges between cultures that go far beyond simply translating words.

In an exclusive interview with Lazo Cultural, Annoni explained that Raíces grew from her desire to help people from other cultures understand not only the language, but also the ways of thinking, living, supporting one another, and building relationships within the Latino community. For her, language is important, but culture is what truly makes deeper and more respectful connections possible.

Through Raíces, Annoni plans to offer consulting services, Spanish conversation opportunities, non-legal translation services, and cultural sensitivity training for organizations that want to connect with the Latino community but may not always know how to do so effectively. In her view, the goal should not simply be to reach the community as a market, but to understand it through genuine respect and knowledge of its traditions and customs.

“I want people to understand why we do the things we do,” she shared. “You have to look at the everyday details that are part of our roots: the food, the extended family, our beliefs, the way a mother, an aunt, or a neighbor supports someone during an important moment, or the way a celebration can become something that involves everyone. No matter what generation you are, the culture is very strong.”

This new initiative comes at a time of personal and professional renewal for Annoni. After many years of community service, she felt it was time to create something of her own without stepping away from what has always guided her work: the community.

At the same time, Claudia Annoni is part of the team behind EatWell Café, a participatory café located inside the Toledo Main Library. The project began after SAME Café Toledo closed, following a mission that had made an important impact on the community. Recognizing the value of that model, Annoni and other local leaders decided to continue the effort through a new nonprofit organization.

EatWell Café operates on a simple but meaningful principle: those who can pay, pay; those who cannot can contribute by helping in the kitchen or café. The idea is to ensure that everyone has a dignified way to receive a meal.

The café focuses on healthy food with an approach similar to the farm-to-table concept. Claudia helps coordinate part of the food system by connecting with people who grow their own produce, urban gardens, farmers, and volunteers. Her work includes sourcing fresh food, strengthening community relationships, and creating opportunities for more people to participate in preparing food and supporting the café’s operations.

The food served at the café is designed by a chef and follows healthy eating guidelines.

“This allows people from very different circumstances to have access to a fresh meal prepared with intention. Everyone who walks through the door is treated the same,” she shared.

In addition to her work with EatWell Café, Annoni collaborates with History South Initiative, an organization working in Toledo’s Old South End, an area historically connected to the Latino community. Through this project, the organization supports neighborhood revitalization, rebuilding efforts, and home repairs. For Annoni, participating in this initiative also means serving as a bridge between non-Latino organizations and Latino residents who often need to feel heard and understood.

Within this community work, housing takes on a special meaning.

“For many Latino families, having a home, whether it is large or small, represents stability and a sense of belonging. That is why supporting projects that help Old South End residents improve their homes is also part of that same mission of connection and service.”

Raíces, EatWell Café, and History South Initiative reflect different sides of the same journey. In each of them, Claudia Annoni works to create spaces where the Latino community is understood through its values, needs, and way of relating to the world. Whether through language, food, or housing, her work is centered on building more human connections between cultures.

For more information about Raíces, call (419) 461-HOLA (4652) or email raicesforlanguageandculture@gmail.com.