This is a picture from 2014 when Ana Alfaro received a REACH Neighborhood Service Award. She was nominated due to her weekly production of the Analeh Show. The show was designed to relay important information to Latino viewers in Frog Hollow and throughout the state. In addition, the show served as a job training opportunity for Capital Community College Students who helped with production. Some of them went on to get jobs in network television. At the time, Ana was also working for Connecticut Light and Power, educating people about energy conservation and spreading awareness of programs like Energize CT, while being involved with as many other community projects as her schedule would allow.

So where is she now? The Analeh Show is now in its 15th year of production. It is still fulfilling its mission to keep the Latino community, “informed, motivated, and inspired.” Like everyone else, the show had to pivot during Covid. They have not filmed in the studio for an entire year. Shows have been filmed over zoom, in homes, and in other creative ways. Numerous people involved with the show lost their jobs during the pandemic, so the stipend provided by the show was vital. Ana is still filming La Revolución de Nutrición with Hartford Hospital that teaches how to cook popular foods in a nutritious way. Ana also continues to explore how she can use her networks to benefit the community. The Analeh Show held their 11th annual holiday toy drive this winter conducted for the first time as a drive-thru, in partnership with the Hispanic Health Council and the United Way of Central and Northeastern CT.  A virtual toy drive event (pictured below) was also held produced by BuzzEngine.

As far as her day time work, Ana is working for Eversource and has transitioned from outreach and education to focusing on community service projects for employees. Through her work, employees have built homes with Habitat for Humanity, worked on community gardens for Knox, served as judges at the Connecticut Invention Convention, cooked and served meals at Mercy Housing, and much more. 

It is fitting that Ana would be organizing volunteer projects because that is what started her path towards TV production. When Ana moved to Hartford from the Bronx, she was new to the area. She started watching community shows on NBC 30 which helped her learn what was going on. It also sparked her interest in wanting to be involved on the other side of the screen. So, Ana called the host of the show and was told to come in and volunteer. She was trained and over time, eventually produced and hosted her own show. Unfortunately, NBC 30 decided to cut the program. “I knew how important the show was,” Ana said, “and thought that someone should continue it”. Fortunately, Ana stepped up and was that person. Over the course of a couple years, overcoming various obstacles, the first pilot show was filmed in 2006.

Ana learned the importance of giving back and what it truly means, when she was asked to serve on the board of a community health center a little after arriving in Hartford. She initially said no, but eventually agreed. That first yes was the doorway that led to many other opportunities to serve. One of those opportunities was a group trying to get a new branch of the library built in the Frog Hollow neighborhood. This summer, after two decades of consistent work, that library is finally going to open. Ana sees this as a powerful example of how important it is to be at the table. “If you stay active, it can make a difference for future generations.”  That is the ultimate goal and the passion that still drives her today.