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This Spring, El Centro proudly celebrated the graduation of another successful IMPÚLSATE cohort of 15 individuals, recognizing a new group of Latino entrepreneurs for their dedication, perseverance, and commitment to growing their businesses. IMPÚLSATE is El Centro’s free, seven-week business accelerator program conducted entirely in Spanish. Through a combination of interactive workshops and personalized one-on-one coaching, participants gain a practical understanding of key business and financial management topics including brand development and digital marketing, hiring, steps to obtaining specialty construction licenses, taxes and government certifications, equipping them with the tools needed to build stronger, more sustainable businesses. Recent graduate, Dania Villafranca who owns a residential and commercial cleaning business, says she learned a great deal about the macro and micro aspects of managing a business. “I loved it because I discovered essential business tools and concepts I didn’t know before,” Villafranca says. “Oxilia and Lindsey, not only did they teach me how to better structure my business, but I also learned surprising strategic details—like how even color choices matter and how time management is an exceptionally valuable skill.”  Dania Villafranca This program also creates opportunities for entrepreneurs to connect with mentors, local business leaders–including Shawn Charles from the Office of Supplier Diversity at the City of New Orleans, Angelo Castellanos of Resilience Force, Giovani Arenas of Garcia Insurance and Eilleen Ordonez of LCI Workers’ Comp–and one another, fostering a network of support that extends well beyond graduation. By providing culturally relevant business education in Spanish, IMPÚLSATE continues to remove barriers to entrepreneurship and strengthen Latino-owned businesses throughout the Greater New Orleans community.  Angelo Castellanos of Resilience Force addresses the Impúlsate class Congratulations to the Impúlsate Class of 2026! We are excited to see all they accomplish and are proud to continue supporting Latino entrepreneurs as they build thriving businesses that strengthen our community.  El Centro ED Lindsey Navarro congratulates the new Impúlsate graduates
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Family, friends, and community are strong foundations to build a successful life. So often it happens that just when we want or need something, a family member, a friend or someone from the community appears to point the way or make a connection. For Eric and Yesenia, friends, family and community have always been there for them, and when it came to buying their first home, it was a combination of all three.  Eric and Yesenia The young couple thought that owning a home was a dream at least for a while. Yesenia, the first in her family born in the US, and Eric, who came to this country as a child from Honduras, come from hardworking families who sacrificed for their children, but were unable to achieve home ownership. But their parents provided each with a great deal, and Eric learned the building trades through his father, and today he co-owns a construction company with his dad. With two incomes and owning a company, they started seeing their dream as a possibility. Yesenia told her best friend that she and Eric wanted to buy a home. That friend, Tlalli Bocanegra, works at El Centro and she immediately responded to Yesenia. “Come to us. We’ll help you.” Eric first attended El Centro’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, and met with Annie Galan, El Centro’s Community Outreach Coordinator and a tax preparer. Annie provided the expertise, and Eric started getting his company’s finances in order–managing his accounting, keeping good records, and setting foundational business practices–and filed all of his back taxes so he was up to date. With a solid track record of tax filings and other proofs of income, Eric and Yesenia were ready to take the next step, and Annie continued to work with the young couple. “Annie from El Centro listened,” Yesenia says. “She believed in us and showed us that this dream was possible. She guided us every step of the way, connected us with the right people, and helped us understand the process with patience and compassion.” Annie introduced them to Spanish-speaking real estate broker, Sol Carmona from NOLA Best Realty LLC, and a mortgage broker, Divine Mortgage LLC. Not much later, Eric and Yesenia found a house, and secured a mortgage. Today, Eric and Yesenia own a beautiful home and look forward to making beautiful memories. And one memory that already stands out is how they were able to connect with El Centro and begin making their dream into a reality.  Eric and Yesenia in front of their new home “In the past, I had reached out to other organizations looking for help, but no one could really point us in the right direction,” Eric says. “Then we found the people who truly believed in us, and everything started to change. We will always be grateful for the kindness, encouragement, and support they gave us.”
In June, El Centro celebrated the graduation of its latest Camino Financiero cohort. Participants completed the free financial education program after several weeks of workshops focused on budgeting, credit building, debt management, and long-term financial planning. One attendee, Hamlet Aragon, wants to share what he’s learned with his friends and young people. “My closest friends—my advice to them is: don’t use more than 30% of your credit limit so you can improve your credit score and eventually start your own business or apply for a mortgage,” Aragon said. “If I could talk to my 12-year-old self, the first thing I’d recommend is to practice saving. Don’t spend everything you have, because this is a habit that needs to be instilled from a young age." Led by El Centro Financial Coach Belén Fernández, the program equips participants with practical financial skills to help them make informed decisions, improve financial stability, and work toward personal and professional goals. And, as Aragon points out, it can help you plan for a wealthier future.  Class of 2026 Camino Financiero “I've learned that we should have savings, an emergency plan, an emergency fund, investments, and life insurance,” Aragon said. “That's the best thing to do if you had a million dollars.”
This graduating class included 24 participants from across the Greater New Orleans area, and it continues to expand access to financial education in Spanish, helping individuals and families build the knowledge and confidence to achieve lasting financial success. Beginning in March and concluding in mid-April, El Centro’s VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program made a significant impact by providing free, Spanish tax preparation services to Latino individuals and families throughout the Greater New Orleans area. Through trusted, no-cost assistance, the program helped community members maximize their refunds while eliminating the financial burden of tax preparation.  Tax preparers training session This marked the sixth year that El Centro offered the program, which is sponsored by Entergy New Orleans, City of New Orleans Economic Mobility in Motion Fund (ARPA), Capital One, JP Morgan Chase and the WK Kellogg Foundation. Working with a dedicated group of volunteer tax preparers, El Centro presented “Super Saturdays.” It was a community effort with a number of local organizations including the Kenner Hispanic Resource Center, University of Holy Cross, Beanlandia, Marrero Community Center, New Orleans East Public Library and Hispanic Apostolate providing space for VITA. Super Saturdays weren’t limited to just filing taxes. There were also a number of resource providers including Southeast Louisiana Legal Services; community organizations and experts that provided free coaching and information. Plus, this year two attorneys offered immigration advice, and Union Migrante provided notaries for various documents. “We were inspired by the first Super Tax Day we witnessed in 2019, where Xavier opened its gym to 50+ preparers and resources partners and I thought we could do this in our own community. ,” says El Centro Founder and Executive Director Lindsey Navarro. “ Saturdays are the most available day of the week for our community, volunteers and resource partners and that’s how Super Saturdays came to be.”  Two VITA participants showing the results: filed tax returns. It’s paid off. This year, the VITA staff and volunteers prepared 546 tax returns, securing more than $90,000 in state refunds, $944,000 in federal refunds. Participants claimed $886,411 in key tax credits, including EITC, education credits, the Child Tax Credit, and the Additional Child Tax Credit.
“One thing we did notice was that there was a decrease in the number of people filing with ITINs (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) from the previous year,” Navarro says. “This is likely indicative of how many community members are increasingly fearful about changes in immigration and federal agency policiess. Our numbers found the following also to be true: on average those filing with social security numbers received $2000 in refunds in comparison to their ITIN filing counterparts who paid $1000.” Despite the issue regarding ITINs, the overall results show the growing demand for accessible and culturally responsive financial services. By removing language and financial barriers, El Centro’s VITA program ensures that more families can keep the money they have earned while strengthening their long-term financial stability. It’s also a strong reminder of how much the Latino community is contributing to the local economy, paying taxes and providing jobs. |
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August 2026
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