LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Spectrum News 1 is honoring Hispanic Heritage Month with the story of a Louisville woman whose own life experience has led her to help other families in need of support. 

Karina Barillas spent Sunday afternoon working to make sure anyone who needed a flu shot or a COVID-19 vaccine could get one. 

 "Just call me and we'll try to squeeze them in," she told others near the end of an event in a mobile home park in Louisville. 

With a clipboard in hand, she signed up patients for the clinic that was a collaboration between Louisville’s health department, Norton Prevention & Wellness, and La Casita Center, where Barillas works as executive director. 

Families received free flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines at an event in Louisville Sunday. (Spectrum News 1/Erin Kelly)

When she arrived in Louisville from Guatemala nearly 30 years ago as a Fulbright scholar, Barillas had survived domestic violence and abuse, she told Spectrum News 1.

"Part of my inspiration to study and to get a profession where I could help families like my own that were going through trauma,” she said. 

La Casita Center is a nonprofit supporting the Latinx community, located in the Shelby Park neighborhood.

"'Latinx' means that everybody is included," said Barillas. "It’s gender-nonconforming so everybody in the community is celebrated so today, I think more than the celebration of who we are as a group of people and different groups of people and cultures, we are celebrating our resiliency." 

The organization has a food pantry, clothing and baby supplies and supports families with domestic violence response, legal services and kindergarten readiness.

"We try to create the accompaniments and the services that the community is requiring at the moment," said Barillas. "For example, the pandemic, our community needed so much accompaniment and support and resources."

The organization says it provided services to nearly 1,400 families from Jan. to June. 

Eva Astudillo works in business and strategic development for La Casita Center. 

"She’s an amazing woman and also a unique leader that I haven’t met before," Astudillo said of Barillas. "The leadership style she has is really empowering and really people-oriented."

La Casita Center is a place where people feel they belong and celebrate who they are, said Barillas. 

“Every morning, I wake up very happy, very proud to be a Latina Louisvillian and to work very hard for my community, so whatever comes through that door or through that phone ... I am ready," she said.

The organization is planning to hold more flu and vaccination clinics.