Dolores Huerta Foundation - Micro-Lending & Financial Literacy Programs

Hello! My name is Brock Seraphin and I am the Micro-Lending Program Coordinator at The Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF). DHF is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that continues Dolores' legacy of training and devotion to marginalized communities. Our mission is to inspire and motivate people to organize sustainable communities to attain social justice. DHF currently organizes in Kern and Tulare counties of California's San Joaquin Valley.

Six months ago, I was hired by Dolores to implement a Micro-Lending program to provide low interest, collateral free small business loans to low income persons in the communities we operate. Within weeks of working with our community members, it became evident that a majority of the immigrant Latino population we work with operates outside of the "financial mainstream". This is perhaps most evident in Lamont, CA, a rural unincorporated agricultural community south of Bakersfield, CA where check-cashing services and pay-day lenders outnumber traditional financial institutions (there is only one bank in Lamont).

Realizing a need not only for access to credit, but also for basic financial literacy, the DHF has begun designing comprehensive programs to address economic need in rural immigrant communities at a variety of levels. Our programs seek to increase capacity through education, provide alternative solutions to credit in order for low income persons to escape poverty traps set by predatory lenders, and to engender a culture of savings and asset building. We believe that these measures are crucial to the health and stability of rural communities.

We are eagerly anticipating the launch of our financial literacy program, which is scheduled for early 2010. Shortly thereafter, we will announce opportunities for IDA savings (Individual Development Account) through United Way of Kern County's FISH (Financial Independence Starts Here) program and the DHF Micro-Lending Program which will offer small business owners access to capital and technical assistance through the Kern Central Credit Union (KCCU).

The birth of these programs would not have been possible without the guidance from a number of organizations who are already providing innovative solutions to spur economic growth within their local communities. I am especially thankful for the continued guidance and support from the Community Financial Resource Center (CFRC), Azteca Community Loan Fund (ACLF), PPEP Microbusiness and Housing Development Corporation, and the Opportunity Fund. Also, special thanks is owed to Loyola Marymount University's Spanish Department for providing curriculum translations.

Stay tuned for developments in our financial programs and official launch dates!

Click here to donate to the DHF Micro-Lending Program!