First Juntos Avanzamos-NLCUP Regional Chapter Forms
Other local networks designed to support financial inclusion for Hispanics and Latinos will follow the first of their kind in California.
In response to an increasing demand for local networks that enable credit union professionals to work together, share knowledge, collaborate and develop solutions on local and national issues related to the financial inclusion of Hispanic and Latino communities, three credit union organizations launched the first-ever Juntos Avanzamos-National Association of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals (NLCUP) Regional Chapter in California, according to an announcement last week from the NLCUP, Inclusiv Network and California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues.
The Leagues, a liaison of Juntos Avanzamos, plan to work with other state credit union leagues that are also considering the launch of a Juntos Avanzamos-NLCUP Regional Chapter, the announcement said. The Leagues along with Inclusiv Network, which together designed the guiding framework for Juntos Avanzamos-NLCUP Regional Chapters, will also provide tools and resources for League member credit unions interested in engaging with the chapter, which is open to credit union professionals who share a commitment to the financial inclusion of Hispanic and Latino communities, and share the values of the Juntos Avanzamos and NLCUP framework.
“We are excited to launch this new initiative designed for credit union professionals who are committed to financial inclusion and want to work collectively to remove barriers and enact real change for the millions of people who are unbanked or underbanked,” Inclusiv EVP Pablo DeFilippi stated. “This is the first of many Juntos Avanzamos-NLCUP Regional Chapters we will be announcing in the coming months. We are grateful to NLCUP and the Leagues for their support, and we look forward to working closer together on this and other initiatives.”
Inclusiv Network is part of the New York, N.Y.-based certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) intermediary Inclusiv. Juntos Avanzamos (“Together We Advance” in Spanish) is a designation for credit unions committed to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant consumers, and is currently held by 128 credit unions in 28 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia – including 16 California credit unions holding $27.8 billion in assets and representing 1.4 million consumers, according to the announcement.
“Empowered by these Juntos Avanzamos-NLCUP Regional Chapters, the Leagues look forward to what Juntos Avanzamos credit unions can continue accomplishing in Hispanic and Latino immigrant communities across California and Nevada,” Leagues EVP Larry Palochik stated. “We will continue developing more connections between Juntos Avanzamos credit unions and others that are exploring this unique avenue of service and philosophy within their local Hispanic and Latino communities and neighborhoods.”
Barbara Mojica, executive director for NLCUP, added, “I am really excited to see this come to fruition and witness the impact of this project. For some of us Latinx individuals, this might be the only safe space we have – within the credit union movement. I cannot wait to see how many individuals flourish because of what NLCUP and Juntos Avanzamos are creating.”