Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center
Ayuda en español para personas de la comunidad Latina afectadas por violencia e injusticia en Virginia
Mission
Provide education, advocacy, and support to Spanish Speaking individuals affected by violence and injustice in Virginia to ensure that they can access services to empower them to become happy, healthy and self-sufficient. Brindar educación, defensa y apoyo a las personas de habla hispana afectadas por la violencia y la injusticia en Virginia, para garantizar que puedan acceder a servicios que les permitan ser autosuficientes, felices y saludables.
Ruling year
2018
CEO
ELVIRA GIOVANNA DE LA CRUZ MACEDO
Main address
9513 Hull Street Road Suite B
North Chesterfield, VA 23236 USA
EIN
83-2446635
NTEE code
Immigrants' Rights (R21)
Low-Cost Temporary Housing (includes Youth Hostels) (L40)
Crime Prevention N.E.C. (I20)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Target Population: Latino/Hispanic, Spanish-speaking victims of crimes Geographic area: Virginia The Latino/Hispanic population in Virginia is the 15th largest in the nation, as 9.6% of Virginia’s population is Hispanic. Of these 819,000 people, 30% are limited english proficient (LEP). In 2014-2015, the Partnership for Community Defined Solutions2 assessed the needs of underserved victims and the barriers they face in accessing services that increase victim safety and offender accountability. The findings of this assessment show that across service sectors (SDV programs, Courts and Court Services, Law Enforcement and Prosecution, and Community Based Advocacy Services) the majority of service providers when asked on the survey to select which of the three populations (African American, Older Adults, and Immigrant/Limited English Proficiency) were most underserved in their area, 71% selected Immigrant/LEP. The assessment also identified that in Virginia victims of crimes from this population faced a lack of coordinated, consistent, reliable, accessible, affordable, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate services that ensure access to timely and accurate information about victims’ rights and available services, due to: The deficit of bilingual and bicultural-trained victim advocates. The lack of trust of the Latino/Hispanic community in victims services agencies. The lack of or cultural inadequacy of materials and web content in Spanish to educate and inform victims of crime about their rights and available services.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
La Linea de Ayuda: 804-658-3341
is a helpline that receives calls from individuals seeking safety, information and support. Our confidential, bilingual helpline is the only one of its kind in Virginia because we can guarantee that our lines are always answered by bicultural, bilingual, and trained advocates.
Helpline callers work with our advocates to develop safety plans, access culturally relevant services, increase their social support networks, and more. We do not simply provide phone numbers to the callers so that they can make calls themselves. Our advocates make the calls with the callers to ensure that they can break linguistic barriers and explain the system if the caller is having difficulties understanding due to cultural differences.
Volunteer Program
Our organization relies on the support of our volunteers, who have been an essential part of our team for years. This program organizes and trains bilingual and bicultural Spanish speakers and allies from the community who are committed to taking action that supports the LIVE Center's mission. Our training program consists of three levels, and as each volunteer progresses through each level of training, they are able to perform more tasks. Monolingual Spanish and English speakers are also welcome.
Depending on the level of training they receive, our volunteers are able to:
• Support to those who call La linea de Ayuda
• Support, lead, and implement community action projects that reflect important topics for Spanish speaking victims and their families in Virginia.
•Provide court accompaniment for clients seeking protective orders or civil remedies related to violence.
• Provide access to resources for Spanish-speaking victims
•Provide administrative/office support
• Participate in outreach and education activities
To learn more about our volunteer opportunities, please contact [email protected]
Community Advocates/Defensores Comunitarios
We invite members of the Latino community to become advocates for victims of violence, and no previous experience is necessary! This program builds on the natural strength of the Latino community and creates an opportunity for Spanish speakers to actively participate in creating change within their own community.
Advocates who complete this program are able to:
• Support victims who call La Linea de Ayuda.
• Lead and implement community action projects that reflect important topics for Spanish-speaking victims and their families.
• Connect and access to resources that will help victims.
• Participate in outreach and education activities.
This is a 4-part-training that is held twice a year. Participants receive certificates upon completion. Through this program, the center can not only provide better direct services, but it can also expand the level of impact on both program participants and the community by training and supporting them to raise awareness about violence.
Victim/Survivor Advocacy Program
All of our services are free and confidential, and provided by bilingual and bicultural trained advocates. These services include:
Helpline in Spanish (La Linea de Ayuda, 804-658-3341)
Safety planning
Shelter placement
Support and reflection groups
Counseling
Legal advocacy
Case management
Financial Assistance
and more
Education and Technical Assistance
The Center is committed to transforming the whole community by helping to improve the way they address the issues of violence in the Latino community. Our team members have provided and continue to provide training in a broad array of topics, including but not limited to:
-Formal co-advocacy partnerships for monolingual English-speaking domestic violence service providers
-Culturally informed trainings for monolingual English-speaking domestic violence service providers
-Organizational assessment of services provided for the Hispanic/Latino community
-Language plan implementation
-Interpretation and Translation Services
-Assessment of language skills of Spanish speaking candidates
-Presentations and information sessions about Victims Rights
Please contact [email protected] for more information about our Parters Program and other technical assistance opportunities.
SPANISH / ENGLISH INTERPRETER BANK (SEIB)
Is a free, shared resource, created to lower the language barrier experienced by Spanish-speaking victims navigating systems in order to help them to acquire happiness, safety, and self-sufficiency.
Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center's SEIB program strives to ensure that monolingual Spanish-speaking victims of violence do not hear the phrase “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Spanish” when seeking services. The SEIB team will work with service providers to achieve this for their clients at no cost.
What we offer: Easy web-based scheduling, Free access to trauma and culture informed interpreter team who are familiar with settings with which victims often interact (legal, law enforcement, social services, etc.), Virtual, Phone, and In-person services.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of Victims Served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People of Latin American descent, Immigrants and migrants, Victims and oppressed people
Related Program
Victim/Survivor Advocacy Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of crisis hotline calls answered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People of Latin American descent, Immigrants and migrants, Victims and oppressed people
Related Program
La Linea de Ayuda: 804-658-3341
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of Crisis Intervention Services Rendered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People of Latin American descent, Victims and oppressed people, Immigrants and migrants
Related Program
Victim/Survivor Advocacy Program
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of referrals to resources offered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People of Latin American descent, Immigrants and migrants, Victims and oppressed people
Related Program
Victim/Survivor Advocacy Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of Interpretation Services Rendered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Immigrants and migrants, Victims and oppressed people, People of Latin American descent
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of people received immigration service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Immigrants and migrants, People of Latin American descent, Victims and oppressed people
Related Program
Victim/Survivor Advocacy Program
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of Clients who Received Emergency Financial Assistance
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Immigrants and migrants, People of Latin American descent, Victims and oppressed people
Related Program
Victim/Survivor Advocacy Program
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center strives to ensure that monolingual Spanish speaking victims of violence do not hear the phrase “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Spanish” when seeking help. We are the first and only victim’s services agency in the state of Virginia that can guarantee all of its services are provided by bilingual, bicultural and trained advocates.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategies consist of three main service lines: Our Helpline and Victims Advocacy program, our Community Advocate program, and our Educational/Technical Assistance program. Our model empowers members of the Latino Community to be part of the solution that ends violence and creates healthy relationships with other communities to provide better services for Spanish-Speaking victims.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
As a sound organization that has earned the trust of the community that we serve, and a good reputation and well-trained volunteers with years of experience working with the Latino/Hispanic community in Virginia, we are prepared and ready to close service gaps for Spanish-speaking victims of crimes. The LIVE Center uses trauma-informed, evidence-based programs such as Lideres and Promotores from Casa Esperaza. We understand the unique needs of our clients, as well as the safety concerns. We collect data, review feedback and adjust our programming based on this input.
Since starting as grassroots initiative ten years ago, we have received the support of services providers that are familiar with our commitment to serve our community. By funding an organization whose main focus is serving Spanish-speaking victims of crimes, the Community support will ensure that no matter who is leading the organization, the target population being served will not change, and will ensure that cultural and linguistic appropriate services are effectively and consistently provided and will be free for these underserved communities in Virginia.
We are members of the Latino/Hispanic community in Virginia providing services by meeting people where they are. All of our volunteers complete our Training modules and meet with a senior advocate at the end of each assignment. We have 30 bilingual Spanish-speaking volunteers, with varying levels of acculturations and beliefs (immigrants who are very adapted to their life in the United States and newcomers as well) and we promote respect for all differences. The office space that the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce allows us to use in Richmond and NOVA are ADA compliant, as will be the space that we anticipate renting with the support of this grant. We are skilled with translation and interpretation processes and are members of the population that we serve; this gives us knowledge about the community that no other victims program has.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center started as a grassroots initiative in 2008 with the purpose of providing information to Spanish-speaking individuals so they could better adapt to their new community and lives in Virginia and learn about the services available to them. Today, we are a 501(c)3 Non-profit organization dedicated to serving victims of violence and injustice in Hispanic communities who require culturally and linguistically appropriate services. With your help, in the past year alone, our agency has grown significantly. As a result, we are more equipped than ever before to serve Spanish-speaking victims of violence in effective and culturally appropriate ways.
In FY19, in spite of the COVID-19 crisis, we served 444 victims, answered 743 Helpline crisis calls, managed 619 crisis interventions, delivered 3060 information and referral services, 712 interpretation services, and 135 immigration-related services. As a part of our Financial Assistance Program, so far, we have paid rent for 19 families, utility bills for 68 families, and have fed over 200 families through our Emergency Food Pantry.
We hope to continue to expand upon all of these programs and further our outreach in the upcoming years!
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center
Board of directorsas of 04/13/2023
Chris Bernhardt
Managing Attorney Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
Term: 2021 - 2024
JENNY LESCANO
CAPITAL ONE
Term: 2018 - 2024
MARIA I ALEGRIA
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
JENNY LESCANO
CAPITAL ONE
INEZ COSTA-CLUBB
KELLER WILLIAMS REALTOR
Christopher Bernhardt
VA Commonwealth attorney office
Patricia Michelsen-King
VCU- Foreign Language Faculty
Monica Jimenez
Dominion Energy
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/08/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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