Hispanic Federation in The New York Times:
Stories About Hope, Tenacity, and Perseverance

The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund has provided generous support to thousands of people across the globe for more than a century. The Fund has raised over $330 million since it was established in 1911, and all proceeds from its campaign go to organizations assisting communities facing socioeconomic hardship.

In 2022, Hispanic Federation joined eight other organizations that The New York Times feels are making a difference in the world. In addition to Hispanic Federation, their 2022-2023 campaign included Brooklyn Community Services, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New York, Children’s Aid, Community Service Society, Feeding America, First Book, International Rescue Committee, and UJA-Federation of New York.

As part of their campaign, Hispanic Federation and our partners were featured in several New York Times stories that highlight how we’re empowering our communities and helping them persevere through some of the most difficult challenges. These stories shine a light on our diverse communities and illustrate to millions how Hispanic Federation supports programs and policies that make an impact on countless lives.

Meet the families and individuals Hispanic Federation were able to uplift thanks to support from organizations like The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund and our generous family of donors.

Annabel

With Job Skills Support, ‘I Feel Like I Want to Fly’
Whether unemployed or underemployed, those looking for opportunity can get a powerful lift from charitable organizations.

Annabel Rodriguez, a 23-year-old woman living below the federal poverty guidelines with her family of six, needed support so that she could complete her studies and earn a nursing degree.

Through one of Hispanic Federation’s partner organizations, Valley Initiative Development and Advancement (VIDA), she was able to accomplish her goal.

VIDA works to support educational and professional development in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, and they have a program designed specifically to address a shortage of health care providers in the area by supporting education among the underserved Latino population.

After applying, Annabel was assigned a counselor, and we were able to offer her a grant as she finished her classes, passed her certification exams, and earned a well-paying job as a nurse in a local hospital.

Her hard work and service has made her a role model to her younger siblings and the greater community — a living example of how perseverance, hard work, and support when you need it can help to break the cycle of poverty. Meet Annabel here.

Maricruz

They Invest in the Land to Build the Future
Restoring a mangrove forest and building out gardens to protect, educate and nourish.

For the last five years, Hispanic Federation has worked to strengthen environmental conservation and restore habitats in Puerto Rico.

The mangrove forest of Piñones helps protect the land from wind damage and reduce erosion caused by storm surges.

The mangroves were devastated when Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the island, with major long-term implications for the families living in those communities.

As one of hundreds of community-led recovery projects identified by Hispanic Federation, we provided a grant of $100,000 to the nonprofit Corporación Piñones Se Integra to help restore the mangroves and prevent the flooding of family homes in the region.

Maricruz Rivera Clemente, a social worker and sociologist, founded this organization to keep her neighbors safe and protect the Piñones.

“We started to do the work, which supposedly could only be done in a year,” Maricruz said. “We did it in a month and a half.” Read the full story here.

Samuel

On the Steep Slope of College Affordability, a Toehold
The enduring expense of higher education has reached Olympian heights. Nonprofit agencies are trying to offer some modest forms of relief.

Samuel Polanco tries to make the college experience easier for younger college students — “based on what I had to learn the hard way,” he says.

Samuel is one of the hundreds of students who participate in CREAR Futuros, a Hispanic Federation peer-mentor program that recruits Latino junior and senior students in college to mentor, guide, and support students just entering college. CREAR Futuros creates a “community of care” to provide first-generation college students with peer-mentors, specialized academic tutoring, leadership trainings, social services, and internships to ensure they succeed and graduate college on time.

For Samuel, earning a bachelor’s degree is about more than just education. Thirty years ago, his parents had to drop out of Lehman College in New York City because they couldn’t afford tuition costs. Now, Samuel and his three brothers are trying to finish the educational journey their parents couldn’t.

Even though he had the help of financial aid and scholarships to attend Lehman, the stress over the cost of attendance was a “huge” part of his college experience. That’s where Hispanic Federation was able to help. As a CREAR Futuros student mentor, Samuel received a stipend in exchange for helping younger students—often the first in their families to attend college—navigate their college experience. In this Neediest Cases piece, you’ll meet Samuel Polanco, Jr. and learn how he found success at his university thanks to the program.

Jhordens

Helping a Family Carry On, After a Child’s Abilities ‘Just Turned Off’
For a boy with a rare disease, a nonprofit’s monthly visits are vital. But compassion extends beyond the simple task of food delivery.

The diagnosis of a rare genetic condition for Jhordens Bido came as a surprise and a shock to his family. The 8-year-old boy was an active one, but one day in early 2019, Jhordens began to have difficulty walking.

His symptoms only worsened. Eventually, doctors told the Bido family that his disease would severely impact his brain functions. In time, Jhordens would lose his ability to speak, walk, see, and hear. And within a month, they said, he would also lose his life.

Verisi Bido and Erick Rivas Rodriguez, Jhordens’ parents and Dominican Republic natives, were determined to find help for their son despite the fatal interpretation his doctors gave. By March 2019, they learned Jhordens’ had adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD. This rare genetic condition causes irreparable harm to a vital membrane that provides insulation to critical nerve cells our brains need to function normally.

Shortly after learning Jhordens had ALD, his parents migrated to the United States where they could get the necessary medical treatment unavailable to them in the Dominican Republic.

In the United States, the Bidos were thankful to find the care Jhordens needed. However, their new reality also meant enduring hardship in a different country. That’s when they were connected to one of our partners, Hillside Food Outreach.

Hillside Food Outreach is a Hispanic Federation Member Agency that supplies groceries to those who cannot access food pantries or who have illnesses for which they need special food. Working with Hispanic Federation, the organization was able to provide Jhordens and his family with a monthly distribution of groceries. 

As featured in the New York Times: “The agency that brings food monthly is very vital, very necessary,” said his sister, noting that the workers’ compassion extended beyond the simple task of delivery. “They are very happy to see Jhordens. They arrive with food and hug Jhordens, give him kisses.”

Meet this extraordinary young man and learn more about a family’s unending hope for the future.