Hispanic Access Foundation is strengthening community health and wellness by equipping trusted local leaders with the tools, training, and networks needed to improve quality of life. Through initiatives focused on mental health, faith communities, urban forestry, and wellness nationwide, the organization is helping communities build healthier, more resilient futures.

"Our health initiatives are rooted in the understanding that wellness extends beyond healthcare—it includes mental and emotional well-being, strong community connections, and healthy environments," said Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. "By connecting local leaders with resources and opportunities, we help communities build lasting solutions that improve overall well-being."

One example is Iglesias Sanas, Comunidades Sanas (Healthy Churches, Healthy Communities), a cornerstone of Hispanic Access Foundation's Leadership Institute. The initiative equips faith and community leaders with the knowledge, resources, and networks needed to advance health and wellness in the communities they serve.

Recently, Hispanic Access Foundation convened a cohort gathering in Puerto Rico, bringing together leaders from across the country to share successes, strengthen collaboration, and identify new opportunities to expand access to critical health resources.

Mental health remains a key focus of the program. To date, 60 faith leaders have completed Mental Health First Aid training, enabling them to recognize signs of mental health challenges, provide initial support, and connect individuals with professional care. By empowering trusted community leaders, the program helps reduce stigma and create supportive spaces where people feel comfortable seeking help.

Through leadership development and community partnerships, Iglesias Sanas continues to expand access to health information, mental health resources, and wellness support nationwide.

Hispanic Access Foundation is also advancing wellness through its urban forestry initiative.  One of the subgrantees through the program, Bosque Comunitario de la Fe: Un Corredor Ecológico Urbano en la Florida Central (Community Forest of Faith) in Orlando's Azalea Park neighborhood, is leading a wellness workshop series through November 2026, in partnership with the Renacer Foundation. The evidence-based curriculum combines health education and community engagement, covering topics such as mental health first aid, stress management, emotional resilience, goal setting, healthy coping strategies, and nature-based wellness practices.

As residents work together to plant and care for trees, they help create cooler, healthier neighborhoods while experiencing the mental, emotional, and social benefits of community engagement and connection to nature.

The Central Florida project reflects Hispanic Access Foundation's broader vision for health—one that recognizes the connection between physical, mental, environmental, and social well-being.

Alongside the wellness workshops, Corpus Care expands access to health resources through digital programming and community activities, while Observatorio Ambiental provides technical expertise to support conservation practices that improve neighborhood livability. These partnerships have driven strong grassroots engagement, with multigenerational events involving local families and digital outreach reaching more than 48,700 people.

Through initiatives like Iglesias Sanas and Community Forest of Faith, Hispanic Access Foundation continues to strengthen the leadership, partnerships, and community networks that help people thrive.

Hispanic Access Foundation is launching a Latino Financial Empowerment Initiative focused on expanding access to culturally relevant financial education and strengthening financial well-being through trusted community networks. The program reflects Hispanic Access Foundation’s continued commitment to advancing economic mobility and ensuring Latino individuals and families have access to the knowledge, tools, and support needed to build long-term financial stability and prosperity.

Launching in May 2026 in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the program will provide free financial workshops hosted in trusted faith and community spaces. The interactive sessions are designed to help participants build financial confidence, strengthen everyday money management skills, and connect with resources that support long-term financial well-being. It advances Hispanic Access Foundation’s Economic Mobility pillar by helping Latino individuals and families access opportunities, knowledge, and support systems that contribute to long-term financial stability and generational prosperity.

“Latinos are essential contributors to our nation’s growth and economic future, yet many families continue to face barriers to accessing trusted financial education and support,” said Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “Through our Latino Financial Empowerment Initiative, we are creating opportunities for families to gain knowledge, build confidence, and strengthen their financial futures in spaces where they already feel connected, supported, and empowered.”

Workshops will include practical financial education, bilingual Spanish-English instruction, and optional one-on-one tailored support. By partnering with congregations and community leaders, the program seeks to strengthen the relationships and support systems that help communities thrive. The initiative combines culturally rooted community engagement with accessible financial education to help Latino families build greater financial confidence and long-term stability.

The Latino Financial Empowerment Initiative is part of Hispanic Access Foundation’s Economic Mobility pillar, which focuses on expanding pathways to opportunity, financial well-being, and long-term prosperity for Latino communities nationwide. To learn more about Latino Financial Empowerment, visit:
https://hispanicaccess.org/what-we-do/issues/economic-mobility/financial-empowerment

Leaders from Hispanic Access Foundation’s Por La Creación Faith-Based Alliance joined community advocates, conservation partners, and coalition leaders from across the state at California Advocacy Day, organized by Power in Nature, to advocate for policies that protect public lands, improve air quality, and strengthen access to the outdoors for communities across California.

Por La Creación is a national network of Latino faith and community leaders advancing conservation and stewardship through education, community engagement, and advocacy rooted in culture and shared values.

The event brought together organizations committed to California’s 30x30 conservation goals and highlighted the growing leadership of Latino communities in advancing solutions that protect natural resources and support healthier communities. Through meetings with legislators and staff, Por La Creación leaders emphasized the importance of community-informed conservation policies that create lasting benefits for families and future generations.

“As people of faith, we are called to care for creation and serve our communities,” said Juan Rosas, Program Manager of Lands & Nature and Por La Creación Network. “Our leaders showed that Latino faith communities are not only participating in conservation conversations — we are helping lead them with values rooted in stewardship, compassion, and action.”

Por La Creación leaders participated in advocacy efforts focused on expanding neighborhood-level air quality monitoring, supporting air filtration systems for schools and homes, protecting public lands, and increasing opportunities for families to connect with nature and outdoor spaces.

Leaders also highlighted the importance of California’s 30x30 initiative — a statewide effort to conserve 30% of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030 — and how it can help ensure Latino communities have cleaner air, healthier neighborhoods, greater access to parks and open spaces, and a stronger voice in conservation efforts shaping their communities. Advocates also discussed legislative priorities related to biodiversity, wildlife connectivity, Indigenous water rights, and long-term access to public lands throughout California.

The participation of Por La Creación leaders reflects Hispanic Access Foundation’s commitment to cultivating Latino leadership and strengthening communities through civic engagement, collaboration, and advocacy that creates lasting impact. To learn more, visit https://hispanicaccess.org/what-we-do/initiatives/por-la-creacion-faith-based-alliance.

Today, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm former New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce as director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. In response to the confirmation, Hispanic Access Foundation’s President and CEO, Maite Arce, released the following statement: 

“As new leadership takes the helm at the Bureau of Land Management with the confirmation of Steve Pearce as Director, Hispanic Access Foundation calls on the agency to uphold its responsibility to protect our nation’s public lands for current and future generations.

“Public lands belong to all of us. They are places of culture, connection, healing, recreation, and opportunity for communities across the country. Their management must reflect the voices, values, and lived experiences of the communities who depend on them, including Latino, Indigenous, and frontline communities that have long served as caretakers of our natural and cultural heritage.

“The Bureau of Land Management oversees some of the nation’s most treasured landscapes and culturally significant places. Its decisions must balance responsible use with durable conservation, climate resilience, biodiversity, clean water protection, cultural preservation, equitable public access, and the long-term economic well-being of communities whose livelihoods are closely tied to healthy public lands.

“At a time when our public lands face growing environmental, social, and economic pressures, we need federal leadership that works in partnership with communities, respects Tribal sovereignty and local knowledge, and recognizes that protecting public lands also supports local economies, outdoor recreation, jobs, and the well-being of future generations.

“Hispanic Access Foundation urges Director Pearce to advance policies that safeguard our shared natural heritage while ensuring communities have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting the lands, waters, wildlife, and outdoor spaces they cherish. Protecting public lands is not only an environmental responsibility, it is an investment in the health, economic vitality, and future of our communities.

“Hispanic Access, alongside Latino families, faith and community leaders, and advocates across the country, stands ready to work with Director Pearce to support the critical mission of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and help ensure our public lands remain protected, accessible, and resilient for generations to come.”

On May 11th, the U.S. Department of the Interior rescinded Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly referred to as the Public Lands Rule, which put conservation on equal footing with mining, logging, and grazing of public lands. In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, issued the following statement:

“The rescission of the Public Lands Rule marks a shift away from a balanced approach to managing our public lands and waters. For Latino communities and families across the country, these lands are places of recreation, cultural connection, reflection, and opportunity that should be protected and sustained for generations to come.

At Hispanic Access Foundation, we believe public lands thrive when conservation is treated as an essential part of land management alongside other uses. Healthy landscapes support wildlife, clean air and water, outdoor traditions, local economies, and the well-being of communities deeply connected to these spaces.

Thoughtful conservation and land-health standards help protect water resources, sustain ecosystems, preserve culturally significant landscapes, and maintain access to outdoor spaces that communities rely on for recreation, reflection, and connection. We are concerned about the long-term implications for culturally and environmentally significant areas, including landscapes that hold deep meaning for Tribal Nations, local communities, and future generations.

Through our Nature and Environment pillar, we have seen how restoration and mitigation initiatives create meaningful economic opportunities for small businesses, Tribal nurseries, youth workforce programs, and local restoration efforts. Investments in conservation strengthen both ecosystems and community-based economic opportunity while supporting responsible stewardship of our public lands.

We also recognize the importance of ensuring Tribal Nations, local leaders, and community voices remain part of decisions that shape the future of public lands. Lasting stewardship requires collaboration, shared responsibility, and meaningful public engagement to ensure these landscapes continue to serve and reflect all communities connected to them.

Public lands belong to all of us, and their future depends on thoughtful management that balances today’s needs with the responsibility to preserve these spaces for future generations.”

Finalized in 2024 following extensive public engagement, the Public Lands Rule strengthened how the Bureau of Land Management approached public land stewardship by recognizing conservation alongside other multiple uses, including energy development, grazing, mining, and recreation. The rule reflected growing recognition that healthy public lands and waters are vital to protecting wildlife habitat, supporting outdoor recreation, sustaining cultural traditions, and building resilient local economies.