People visit Google millions of times a day to ask questions about budgeting, mortgages, debt consolidation and much more. Financial goals such as starting a business or purchasing a home may feel daunting if you don’t have resources available in your own language. That’s where organizations like ¡HICA! come in.
Based in Birmingham, Alabama,
the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama, or ¡HICA!, supports the region’s Latino and immigrant families with financial literacy, education pathways, low-cost legal services and other programs designed to empower them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. The organization serves approximately 5,000 people annually.
During the past five years, SouthState has proudly partnered with ¡HICA! by providing both financial support and financial education programs, allowing the organization to connect more people to valuable resources.
This partnership, originally developed by Director of Corporate Stewardship LeDon Jones, is led today by Community Development Officer Shakira Ellis, along with Madison, Alabama Branch Manager Iza Fernandez Aviles.
Fernandez Aviles is a dedicated volunteer offering hours of financial literacy classes in Spanish to the participants at ¡HICA! ”I’m thrilled the Bank is giving me the opportunity to help our Hispanic communities. It fills my heart with joy to be able to be there for them in their own language,” Fernandez Aviles says.
"For five years, SouthState has shown up for ¡HICA! not only with dollars, but with people. When Iza stands in front of a room of women entrepreneurs and explains credit in Spanish, she is working alongside neighbors who already have the drive and the vision and are ready for the tools to match. That is what real partnership looks like, and it is why the families who walk through our doors leave with more than information. They leave with a plan," says Carlos Aleman, CEO of ¡HICA!.
In a metro area with a population of 1.2 million, ¡HICA! is the only organization providing comprehensive, culturally tailored economic development entirely in Spanish. A one-stop shop for education and assistance is ¡HICA!’s desire as Latino and immigrant families build lasting economic stability.
”Their whole passion is making sure that every single client that comes through that door is seen, is heard and is respected. The staff is constantly reaching for resources, trying to find different ways to be able to meet the needs of every single individual that's coming through that building,” Ellis says.
