DFPI Recognizes Outreach Partners for Latino Heritage Month
¡Felicidades en el Mez Nacional de la Herencia Latina!
In celebration of Latino Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), also known as National Hispanic Heritage Month, the DFPI recognizes the work of our Spanish language and Latino community outreach partners. These statewide community-based organizations help advance DFPI’s mission of reaching our most vulnerable Californians. Much of this work is supported by the CalMoneySmart Grant Program.
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) – CHIRLA is one of the largest and most effective advocates for immigrant and refugee rights, managing programs in Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Orange, San Bernardino, and Tulare counties. This Los Angeles based 2022-23 CalMoneySmart grantee, provides community education presentations and materials and uses well established networks to distribute them, helping immigrants understand their labor, civil, and human rights and how to make use of educational programs that prepare them for financial and civic empowerment.
El Sol Neighborhood Services – El Sol is the pioneer organization focused on identifying, training, deploying, and supporting Community Health Workers (CHWs) and “promotores” programs in the Inland Empire. With multiple locations throughout San Bernardino and Riverside, this 2022-23 CalMoneySmart grantee (three-time award winner) has a robust, positive track record with its financial literacy and financial empowerment program, Advancing to Prosperity (A2P).
Family Assistance Program (FAP) – FAP provides shelter and advocacy services to victims of domestic violence. In addition to its shelter and transitional housing program in Victorville, it also operates satellite offices in San Bernardino and Fontana. This 2022-23 CalMoneySmart grantee also manages runaway/homeless youth shelters, a homeless youth street outreach team, youth drop-in centers, Next Step re-entry program, community centers, anti-human trafficking program, and other programs and services to support the needs of its Victor Valley, San Bernardino, and Morongo Basin communities. By understanding the diversified needs of their local community, they offer financial capability education, advocacy, and various supportive services in both English and Spanish with the mission to assist low-income families in creating safe and stable homes.
Haven Neighborhood Services – This nationally recognized 2022-23 CalMoneySmart grantee (two-time award winner), provides no-cost, integrated financial capability education, housing, and supportive services to vulnerable communities in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, and Ventura, including bilingual outreach to its Latino communities. Their mission is to support Low- and Moderate- Income (LMI) individuals and families achieve economic inclusion, mobility, and financial security to combat poverty, prevent homelessness, and end their financial and housing crisis.
Mexican Consulates in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino have partnered with the DFPI Targeted Outreach Team in California to provide bilingual resources at presentations, webinars, and staff resource tables at their events held throughout the year. The Mexican Consulates of California offer “Ventanillas de Asesoría Financiera” (Financial Advice Windows), where specialized personnel provide free, confidential, and timely guidance on managing money, how to increase their wealth through savings, paying taxes, building credit for small businesses, and more. Their locations are staffed by local nonprofits. The San Bernardino “Ventanilla” Office is staffed by El Sol Neighborhood Services, a 2022-23 CalMoneySmart grantee.
SUMA Wealth Management – SUMA Wealth is the leading financial technology company devoted to increasing prosperity, opportunity, and financial inclusion for young U.S. Latinos. SUMA is a digital platform used to teach the Latinx Community how to build and sustain wealth. Their most recent offering is a certificate educational program on all things web3 and crypto. SUMA uses the holistic approach of digital media, fintech, and virtual experiences to spice up dry and complex topics of investment, debt management, and creating and sustaining wealth. By creating culturally relevant content, virtual experiences, and providing financial tools they demystify and reimagine financial inclusion. Through entertainment they aim to become the trusted source to help the Latinx community overcome current financial challenges and create a more prosperous future.
United Way of Orange County – This Orange County based 2022-23 CalMoneySmart grantee is renowned for its United for Financial Security financial capability educational program. The program focuses on building tools for financial stability, such as establishing a safety net, empowering financial wellness, developing workforce solutions, and promoting public awareness and education. This high impact, boots on the ground program is especially designed to help struggling families find and stay on the path to financial security.
Ventures – This 2022-23 CalMoneySmart grantee is most known for its Transformational Programs aimed at strengthening Central Coast rural Latino working-class families’ economic and political power. These financial capability educational programs include “Alas,” a 6-month financial stability program to help working-class Latino families build financial wellbeing, and “Familias con Más,” which provides financial education and advocacy to help rural Latino working-class families understand money, how to save it, and how to manage it.