By Suzanne Potter
Las Vegas-area families are invited to join free monthly workshops through a pilot program aimed at helping residents—especially bilingual families—strengthen their money management skills.
The outreach is led by the Hispanic Access Foundation’s Latino Financial Empowerment Initiative. Classes will be taught by financial planners at local churches and community centers, with instruction in English and Spanish.
“The topics are budgeting 101: looking at your income versus your expenses, how to begin saving, how to get out of debt, and then planning for the future,” said Magali Robinson, senior director of economic mobility with the Hispanic Access Foundation.
The initiative hopes to reach 150 people per month through the end of the year. The classes will also address bank account options, life insurance, health insurance and legal documents that can help protect finances.
Robinson said participants who take the class will be eligible for several free one-on-one coaching sessions.
“We’re prepared to make the investment, to carve out that space and time to learn and see what changes can be done on an individual level, really tailored so that each family can be successful,” Robinson said.
More information is available on the Hispanic Access Foundation website.
According to the nonprofit UnidosUS, Nevada’s Latino population grew by 29% between 2010 and 2019. Nearly 40% live in poverty. Latinos have the highest labor participation rate in the state, but researchers say they are overrepresented in low-paying fields.
