Nonprofit aimed at inspiring Hispanic leaders chosen as this week’s TFNB Your Bank for Life Charity Champion

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A local nonprofit which is growing in need and popularity by the day is helping develop local Hispanic leaders in Central Texas.

Hispanic Leaders’ Network is this week’s TFNB Your Bank for Life Charity Champion and has a mission to offer diverse personal, cultural, and professional development opportunities that aim to inspire Hispanic leaders.

They do this in many ways including mentorship programs, access to tools to translate languages and providing college tours with Spanish-speaking guides.

Elaine Botello is a co-founder and board president and said the need for support is great in our area, especially among school-aged kids.

“HLN’s primary goal is to motivate and support these students, encouraging them to pursue higher education and providing the means to attend college through scholarships,” Botello said.

One of the ways HLN supports student is through its Navegando Mentorship Program which is designed to inspire, support, and equip primarily Spanish-speaking students from University High School, Waco High School and soon LaVega High School.

This program brings together students and local Hispanic leaders.

“This program brings local Hispanic leaders into direct contact with these students, sharing their professional experiences, journey towards their dream careers, and personal stories of overcoming language barriers,” Botello said.

HLN serves as a language hub for the community where tools are available to help with language learning and translation.

“We have translation equipment that organizations and entities can check out and use at their meetings so that way we are giving opportunities for our citizens that live here in our community that are predominantly Spanish speaking to be able to stay informed of what’s going on in our community,” Botello said.

HLN is currently certifying bilingual interpreters.

By February, they hope to have 15 highly qualified interpreters that organizations across Central Texas can utilize.

For more information or to donate go to www.hln-waco.org.

Copyright 2023 KWTX. All rights reserved.