Serafin Blanco from Ñoo Que Barato believes in giving back. He understands first hand how refugees struggle when they are forced to flee their country. His family left Cuba in 1967 when he was only a 14 year old. They arrived in Madrid, Spain on a very cold day of December of that year, confused and not knowing where to go the family was helped by Father Camiña and The IRC. The IRC in Madrid gave them shelter and clothes and assist them with their basic needs. On June, 1967 they took a plane to Miami, USA and once they arrived their lives changed forever. His parents worked really hard to give him a good education and the opportunity they didn’t have back in Cuba.
Serafin took the opportunity given to him and worked very hard to accomplish his dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. His hard work paid off when he opened his first store “Clothing Machine” in 1980. He didn’t want to stop there and continued pursuing his dreams, in 1996 he opens Ñoo Que Barato! and from there he has opened four more stores. He says that being raised in Miami, a community known for its refugee population, has helped him find ways to give back. As he says, “giving makes me feel good with myself”. Serafin was approached by Oasis Peña (staff from IRC Miami office) back in 2007, when he heard that the IRC was also in Miami he didn’t doubt to offer his help. Since then he has been a steady donor helping the organization with uniforms, school supplies, clothing, and the much needed monetary donation. Serafin says”these are basic needs for a kid and to imagine a child going back to school without them breaks my heart”.
