Hispanic Access is delighted to announce the addition of Magali Robinson as the Community Navigator Program Manager. In her role, she will play a pivotal role in managing a team of Community Navigators, strengthening community engagement, fostering relationships, and supporting the growth and sustainability of Latino-led community organizations.

“I greatly value that Hispanic Access leads its initiatives from a value-centered perspective,” said Robinson. “It not only makes me feel empowered as a member of this team, but this approach drives us to look for the already-existing strengths of the Latino community and serves to guide and amplify the opportunities and engagement of Latino individuals everywhere. That's exactly what I want to be a part of."

Robinson has over 12 years of experience in championing health equity and improving outcomes for underserved communities across the U.S. and has led initiatives aimed at enhancing healthcare access, particularly in the context of HIV/STI management and prevention. In this position, she will establish and cultivate relationships within specific geographic regions and enhance the program’s impact, expanding its reach and ensuring meaningful connections with various stakeholders.

“Magali is the ideal person for this role,” said Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “Magali’s strategic vision and collaborative approach play a strong role in fostering partnerships with key stakeholders to ensure crucial voices are elevated and empowered.”

The Community Navigator program helps local leaders build climate resilience within their communities by finding and accessing grant funding and capacity-building support. 180 of those organizations will be stewarded through the grant application process for BIL/IRA funding available through the U.S. Forest Service. To learn more about the Community Navigator program. 

Hispanic Access is delighted to announce the addition of Hilda Berganza as the Climate Manager. Berganza is a climate expert, leader, and champion specializing in climate restoration. She joins Hispanic Access from Girl Up, United Nations Foundation, where she created and implemented the organization’s digital open-source climate restoration course and set the stage for additional climate programming. Before that, Hilda spent two years as the Youth Program Director and Project Manager at the Foundation for Climate Restoration.

Un informe reciente de Headwaters Economics y la Fundación Acceso Hispano ha revelado estadísticas alarmantes sobre los riesgos de inundaciones que enfrentan las comunidades latinas en los Estados Unidos. Analizando datos de la Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA), el informe revela que uno de cada cuatro latinos vivía en condados que experimentaron una declaración federal de desastre por inundaciones en 2023, en comparación con uno de cada diez no latinos. Este marcado contraste enfatiza la necesidad urgente de soluciones específicas para abordar los riesgos de inundaciones y la importancia de involucrar a los líderes de la comunidad latina en los programas de resiliencia.

Latinos in the U.S. face a disproportionately higher risk of flood compared to other demographics, its impact widening existing inequities. This conclusion was reached by the Hispanic Access Foundation and Headwaters Economics in a new study, which analyzes the group's vulnerabilities and proposes a series of resilience strategies to mitigate them.

As climate change makes extreme weather events more common globally, new findings show Latinos often face the most significant effects on their health, safety and livelihoods.

The report from the Hispanic Access Foundation details those impacts and how climate change even erodes cultural legacy when neighborhoods undergo gentrification, displacing traditional communities.

As climate change makes extreme weather events more common globally, Latinos often face the most significant effects to their health, safety, food security and livelihoods. 

A new report from the Hispanic Access Foundation details the effects and how climate change erodes cultural legacy when neighborhoods undergo gentrification, displacing traditional communities.

In a candid conversation, we caught up with Pastor Moses Borjas to explore the fusion of faith, environmental advocacy, and the small yet impactful steps we can take every day. His firsthand experiences and commitment to positive change offer a fresh take on how individuals can play a role in building a sustainable future.

2023 has been a year of both historic progress and persistent challenges for Latinos and Hispanics living in the United States. From record political representation to ongoing struggles with immigration reform and gun violence, as well as impressive economic performance, the year has been a microcosm of the complex realities facing this vibrant and diverse community.

These the top stories of the year:

Heritage–what gives someone their identity, sense of self, and history. Although it can be defined differently based on one’s concept, it includes the shared legacies of the natural environment, the creations of humans, and the interactions of humans and nature. It encompasses built, terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments and landscapes, cultural practices, knowledge, living experiences, shared history, and more. Often overlooked in crisis planning, it gives communities vital places to gather, share resources, keep cultural practices alive, and heal and recover from a disaster. It is now under threat from a source most would not imagine and is frequently overlooked: climate change.

My journey into marine conservation began far from the ocean, in the heart of the Midwest, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My first exposure to the magic of marine ecosystems was while watching Animal Planet and other nature TV shows, as well as visiting the vibrant aquarium at the Milwaukee Public Zoo. Like most Latinos, I didn't have much access to the outdoors, and my family stayed near home during vacations. I was 21 years old when I experienced the ocean in person for the very first time.