El Centro Hispano

Based on the contact with the Latino community and the identification of their needs, CEL has been formed. This is a space where, based on the registration and registration in a database (workers and employers) are contacted with each other to solve their needs for economic income and growth of their business. In the same way, this registration allows to call them through direct contact (email, phone, text messages) to training and let them know about opportunities provided by local governments and other organizations.

Latino workers, entrepreneurs and small business owners are recruited through outreach days. After the contact and explanation of how CEL works, they are registered in the database and from there, close communication is maintained with the registered individuals. 
In this communication, through direct dialogue, users communicate their needs for work, employment, skills development and knowledge acquisition. Likewise, from CEL, by means of small surveys, questions are asked about the same issues. With the answers, different training activities are prepared and developed to respond to the needs expressed by the users.

Right now CEL is very well positioned in Orange County, we want to extend the model much stronger in Durham County and start operations in Wake County.

CEL solves part of the problem of economic instability for part of the Latino population in the North Carolina Triangle Area (Durham, Orange and Wake counties). 

According to studies by the North Carolina Justice Center (NCCJ), Hispanics in North Carolina have nearly twice the poverty rate of the state average and lag behind in education as well. By 2021, the poverty reduction for this population was 34%, well below the 55% and 57% poverty reduction rates for black and white people, respectively. ( https://www.ncjustice.org/publ...). 

There is evidence that the Latino community faces greater economic and social hardship than the rest of the state. According to the NCCJ, the Hispanic poverty rate averages 32.9%, much higher than the state average of 17.2%.

According to Tazra Mitchell, Budget Policy Analyst and Tax Center, North Carolina Justice Center (NCJC) "In order to build an economy that is more inclusive of Latinos, policymakers should raise the minimum wage, support job creation in high quality jobs, and invest adequately in equal opportunities such as education, job training, affordable housing, and early education" (https://quepasamedia.com/notic...).

According to the 2020 Census, there are 194,157 Latinos in the Triangle Area, corresponding to 12.4% of the total population of the three counties. This is our target population where we must work to increase the income and wages of workers, entrepreneurs and small business owners, support job creation, job training, financial literacy and networking to take advantage of opportunities provided by local governments and other organizations. 

Our solution, CEL, is in two dimensions of the challenge: 1. "Connecting small business owners and key stakeholders such as investors, local policymakers, and mentors with the relevant experience to improve coordination, collaboration, and knowledge bases within the small business ecosystem" and 2. "Advocating for and shaping policy that supports small business owners and/or place-based efforts in their geographic areas, including increased access to resources, removal of structural barriers, and access to infrastructure such as broadband"

On the one hand, from our contact with Latino workers, entrepreneurs and small business owners, we know their needs; on the other hand, we are in permanent contact with local governments and organizations interested in working with this population. With this knowledge CEL provides the connection between one and the other, we know the needs and activities are carried out to meet them and thus respond to the needs of both. 

Likewise, El Centro Hispano is present in several committees that involve decision makers of local governments that allow, at another level, to work so that the measures taken and public policies adopted contribute to improve income and economic stability. 

For example, we have a CEL Committee that includes the City of Carrboro, Carrboro City Council, Durham Tech Community College, the Chamber of Commerce, and labor. Another example is the Wake network, where there are commissioners from Wake County, staff from Wake County and from the cities of Morrisville, Cary, and the Consulates of Mexico and Guatemala.

According to the 2020 Census, there are 194,157 Latinos in the Triangle Area, corresponding to 12.4% of the total population of the three counties. This is our target population where we must work to increase the income and wages of workers, entrepreneurs and small business owners, support job creation, job training, financial literacy and networking to take advantage of opportunities provided by local governments and other organizations. 

CEL solves part of the problem of economic instability for part of the Latino population in the North Carolina Triangle Area (Durham, Orange and Wake counties). 

According to studies by the North Carolina Justice Center (NCCJ), Hispanics in North Carolina have nearly twice the poverty rate of the state average and lag behind in education as well. By 2021, the poverty reduction for this population was 34%, well below the 55% and 57% poverty reduction rates for black and white people, respectively. ( https://www.ncjustice.org/publ...). 

There is evidence that the Latino community faces greater economic and social hardship than the rest of the state. According to the NCCJ, the Hispanic poverty rate averages 32.9%, much higher than the state average of 17.2%. 

As mentioned, the CEL model has very strong work in Orange County in North Carolina, it wants to extend and strengthen its operation in Durham and Wake counties in North Carolina

No, the mission of El Centro Hispano is works to strengthen the community, build bridges, and advocate for equity and inclusion. El Centro Hispano has a Economic Development Department. It focuses on expanding the capacity of Hispanic/Latino community members to make sound, educated financial decisions that build long-term assets and financial security. The Casa for Employment & Leadership (CEL) is part of the Economic Development Program and builds the capacity of day laborers, domestics, and temporary workers to secure steady or permanent employment and a living wage,.

CEL  works to help small businesses and/or to support small businesses, entrepreneurs and workers.

Our Department of Economic Development wants to contribute to reducing poverty in the Latino community in the Triangle Area of North Carolina. Through CEL, he wants more people to have jobs and to improve their economic income. Likewise, he wants entrepreneurs to stabilize their businesses and ultimately for small businesses to increase their profits.

Current number of people serving:  189

Number of people serving in one year (average since 2015): 174

Number people serving in five years: 2466

The Hispanic community in North Carolina's triangle area is an active community, always in search of economic opportunity. Two thirds of the community has the English language barrier to access job opportunities and take advantage of the different initiatives offered by local governments. A good amount of the Latino community does not have their legal status established.

El Centro Hispano, by having a relationship with local governments and with organizations that work in the area, helps to change the conditions so that opportunities can be taken advantage of. An example of this is that Durham Tech will teach a certified electricity course in Spanish, at a time according to the availability of workers, and with identity verification through our organization.

El Centro Hispano works very closely with the community, we have listening sessions, we have permanent communication with them and we give feedback on our work with them.

On the other hand, do surveys and ask them periodically about their needs. Additionally, we have discussion spaces with stakeholders.

We visit each business in person and register it in our database. Likewise, we visited some places with a high turnout of the Latino community to publicize our programs. From this scope we register them in our database and from there we have permanent communication with them. We use this method because we believe that this generates a lot more trust in the work between the parties.

As mentioned, for the next year we want to strengthen the CEL management model in Durham County and start operations in Wake County. It wants to reach more workers, entrepreneurs and small business owners. We will achieve this with the expansion of the work team. The extension of the same is already projected for the next fiscal year.

The team is a combination of the knowledge and studies of one part of the team and the field experience of other team members. Trained as Community Specialist and Community Health Workers, they have the ability to establish a direct and close relationship with people. This, combined with the experience of the managers, who have master's level studies, makes the work vision comprehensive and very close to the community.