As the Latino communities of the United States continue to grow and become more geographically diverse, Hispanic Federation is following suit. Today, Hispanic Federation operates in 20 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. After opening our first office outside of New York City in 2005, we have opened offices in Connecticut, Florida and Puerto Rico. This year, we also opened new ground in Rhode Island, hiring a full-time state coordinator and setting up an office at Rhode Island College.
“Expanding our reach to Rhode Island is important given the increasing number of Latinos in the New England region,” said Hispanic Federation President José Calderón. “Places like Providence, where Latinos account for thirty percent of the total population give you a sense of what the future of New England may look like. We want to make sure that we are there to grow with community and provide them with the services and support they need to thrive.”
But Hispanic Federation’s expansion is more than just about geographic expansion. It’s about increasing our network of Latino community-based organizations. This year we have grown our network to 108 affiliated nonprofits.
“Increasing the number of member agencies we serve is important,” Calderón said. “We are in discussion to add agencies in Florida and Pennsylvania but also in places such as North Carolina, Rhode Island, and, critically, in Puerto Rico.”
In order to manage this growth, Hispanic Federation has been expanding its talent pool. In 2016, our staff numbered thirty-three. By mid-2018 we have grown to fifty-five staff members.
“What makes Hispanic Federation is our human capital,” Calderón added. “We have staff that are committed to our mission and willing to do the difficult work to help us achieve our goals. As our services have increased in size and complexity, we have been able to add new staff who share these values and work ethic and they are really making possible for us to meet our strategic goals. It’s a really exciting time to be part of the Hispanic Federation.”
