Caminos to build generational wealth: New opportunities for our communities and Affiliates

Our Affiliates have the connection with our communities and on-the-ground expertise. UnidosUS has the experience creating and delivering programs to provide new workforce opportunities. And DoorDash has the Dasher community they want to empower. This combination creates the perfect partnership among a group of organizations that want to build better societies. Find out more here.

By Beatriz Paniego-Béjar, Affiliate Communications Specialist, UnidosUS

In our continuous effort to build economic prosperity, UnidosUS has partnered with DoorDash to expand our reach in financial empowerment and workforce development programming through an initiative called Caminos. Through our local Affiliates and the community of DoorDash delivery providers—known as Dashers—in the United States, Caminos will identify and connect participants for this online bilingual program to UnidosUS Affiliates and partner organizations in 10 cities across the country.

Caminos’ goal is to improve the financial well-being of its participants, fulfilling the big picture of building generational wealth, which will give participants opportunities they couldn’t access before. This initiative will offer financial and professional skills education and access to free and individualized financial coaching. Through the program, they will have the opportunity to better understand their own financial goals with the help  of one-on-one coaching and they will also learn how to strategize to reach their goals.

ABOUT OUR PARTICIPANT AFFILIATES

As important as it is for all people to have the opportunity to land good jobs that can lead to fulfilling careers,  having the tools to be able to build financial independence is equally crucial. Collaborating with our Affiliates in this effort is key for the success of Caminos and our communities.

The UnidosUS Affiliates and partner organizations involved in this initiative have a long history of commitment to financial empowerment and workforce development and experience delivering programs in these fields. Learn more about them:

  • St. Nicks Alliance, Brooklyn, New York

St. Nicks Alliance’s Workforce Development Center has helped thousands of North Brooklyn residents land and keep high-paying jobs in high-demand industries. Their goal is to train and place all their clients into high-quality, full-time, permanent jobs that pay a living wage.

  • PODER, Chicago, Illinois

Our 2018 Affiliate of the Year, PODER’s Workforce Development training programs are geared towards providing career pathways for unemployed or underemployed individuals seeking career opportunities that offer family-sustaining wages and advancement opportunities.

  • Mi Casa Resource Center, Denver, Colorado

With the mission to create pathways to opportunities, Mi Casa Resource Center educates, trains, and supports youth and adults on their path to economic success, with a commitment to advance family prosperity. They also provide a pathway to affordable and attainable post-secondary education.

  • SERJobs, Houston, Texas

Our Affiliate in Texas presents itself in a powerful way, “where opportunity works,” and we are witness to that statement. SERJobs empowers their community to become champions of their futures with coaching, training, employment, and financial empowerment.

  • Overtown Youth Center (OYC), Miami, Florida

OYC’s approach through their Post High-School Program is focused on supporting post-secondary youth and monitoring their progress until they are 25 years old. Students receive career exposure, job interview skills classes, and access to resources such as counseling, scholarships, and transportation.

  • Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens (NHSQ) CDC, Queens, New York

Our Affiliate in Queens has an outstanding track record of guiding families to buy their first home, as well as assisting them in achieving their financial goals, by helping them to understand the “how and why” of winning financial habits. They help create a plan specific to each family’s needs, so they can reach their goals.

  • Chicano Federation of San Diego County, San Diego, California

The Chicano Federation of San Diego County invests in their community to—among other priorities—promote self-sufficiency. Through their Workforce & Business Development Program, they provide women with the skills and resources to start a home-based child care business, giving them financial sufficiency.

  • MEDA, San Francisco, California

MEDA serves San Francisco’s low- and moderate-income job seekers by helping them obtain and retain living-wage, long-term employment. They also offer access to opportunities for career growth, and training programs designed to provide entry points into the retail, financial and technology sectors.

  • El Centro de La Raza, Seattle, Washington

To assist low-income and unemployed people in securing employment, El Centro de La Raza offers programs to build self-sufficiency and empowerment through bilingual and skill building education. They implement a variety of our programs, among them Unidos at Work and Unidos in Finance.

  • Catholic Charities DC, Washington, DC

Catholic Charities DC understands the importance of education to ensure better employment and opportunities of growth, and they have an Employment and Adult Education service that provides the tools and resources to develop a successful career path.

El Centro de La Raza employees in front of their building.

FOOD INSECURITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

The collaboration between UnidosUS and DoorDash also addresses the intersection between economic prosperity, access to food, and civic engagement.

Our communities have greatly lacked access to nutritious foods during the pandemic, which can affect their health in the long term. This partnership combines our food insecurity program Comprando Rico y Sano with Project DASH, an initiative that allows organizations to leverage DoorDash logistics to increase access in the communities, including by combating food insecurity.

Another big part of ensuring our communities can thrive is by giving them the tools to advocate for the issues that matter to them. For this reason, the UnidosUS Latino Empowerment and Advocacy Program (LEAP) is also part of our work with DoorDash. Our Affiliates will be able to find opportunities for engagement by integrating voter registration and education activities into their existing services.

You can learn more about our partnership in this press release and follow our social media channels for the latest updates.

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