We are proud to announce Chalise Fiol has been named a 2023 NACLAB Pete Garcia Community Economic Development Fellow!

The Pete Garcia Community Economic Development Fellowship is a year-long leadership training program for Latino leaders from around the country. This year, 18 professionals were selected for this prestigious program that aims to cultivate future Latino leaders.

Established in 2010, the Fellowship was developed to ensure that the next generation of Latinx leaders build practical, personal and professional skills needed to fill the increasing leadership gap in the community development field. It provides mid-career Latinx practitioners with specialized professional development training, preparing them to become strong executive director candidates at non-profits that serve Latino communities.

Chalise currently serves as Hacienda's Economic Opportunity Program Manager. Over the course of 11 years, Chalise has served communities and staff alike, sharing her expertise and dedication to creating economic opportunities for everyone. We celebrate this outstanding accomplishment. We appreciate Chalise’s dedication, passion and leadership and are grateful for her impact in our organization and community!

This year’s title program sponsor is the JPMorgan Chase Foundation with additional support from Capital One.

About NALCAB

The National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) is the hub of a national network of 200 member organizations that are anchor institutions in geographically and ethnically diverse Latino communities in 45 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico. NALCAB supports its member institutions through funding, training, research and advocacy, enabling them to invest in their communities by building affordable housing, ensuring equitable neighborhood development, supporting small business growth, and providing financial counseling on issues including credit building and homeownership. As a grantmaker and US Treasury certified CDFI lender with offices in San Antonio and Washington DC, the NALCAB Network serves hundreds of thousands of low- and moderate-income people, advancing economic equity and inclusivity in the communities we serve.

Alex Valle shares how he passionately serves Our community youth and his personal development as an educator. Read more about his experience as an After-School Program Coordinator and his contribution to Hacienda’s Expresiones program.

Photography by Héctor Salazar @hectorsalazarphotography. Courtesy from the group IDEAL PDX.

Alex Valle has always had the desire and passion to work with youth. He is driven to make a difference in the lives of future generations using his gifts of teaching and relationship building. From educating and helping students through art as well as physical education in local schools, to his current role as an Expresiones After-School Program Coordinator, Alex nurtures his talents daily and finds that his work includes more than just teaching, rather he goes further to impact his community and the youth involved.  

Alex began his career at Hacienda in 2019 and transitioned into his role as an After-School Program Coordinator recently. After two years supporting organizational events and entrepreneurs in our Empresarios program, he was drawn to this particular position due to his natural ability to teach and desire to work with youth. Alex describes his current role as being a central person who “… provides a safe space for youth from the community to gather, someone who provides educational assistance with homework, develops cognitive developmental activities and connects them with programs, places, and activities that they would normally not have access to. Needless to say, After-School Program Coordinators serve as “… mentors and teachers for the kids that they work with while also being a resource center for families.”  

“…Expresiones has a vital role in the communities we serve. Not only for the educational value but also because it serves as a support for families involved.”

One of the most compelling ways Expresiones is making an impact is by allowing children to be in a safe environment upon returning from school. Parents oftentimes have busy schedules which prevent them from picking their children up. Youth are dropped off thanks to school transportation near program sites, and head to Expresiones without needing to head home beforehand. They go to their classrooms and parents have peace of mind knowing their children are well taken care of.

Alex explained that as a result of his personal involvement with Expresiones growing up, he stayed away from trouble and difficult situations. Having experienced the impact of this programming firsthand, Alex is sure to make every day count with his youth and quickly learned that every day is a new adventure in Expresiones. The most meaningful part of his work is relationship-building, from activity planning to talking with families.

“The most rewarding part of this position has been to connect with the community, both the kids and the families. Through building this connection I have been able to learn about the needs of the communities and how Hacienda and myself can help. When we are not able to provide help, we connect them to outside programs or resources that can support them. To me, this is the most rewarding part because I know how much help that brings to a family in need.” Alex has built rapport among children and families by being a support system and providing a safe environment for children to access.

“To me, this is the most rewarding part because I know how much help that brings to a family in need.”

After a short period of time, Alex saw that his impact extended beyond after-school activities. Building trust is a crucial component in his work. “When I first started in this position, I imagined it to be much simpler than it truly is. As months have passed, I’ve realized that our goal in the Expresiones program is to provide much more than just help with school and homework. I have developed relationships with the kids as a mentor and role model and relationships with the parents as a guide and family friend. While performing my duties I want the families to see me as someone they can trust and someone that will be there in case they need something. Not just an after-school teacher.”

Meanwhile he teaches children within the classroom, Alex also provides relief to families in moments of need. During the 2022 holiday season, Alex and his Expresiones team provided gifts to families they serve, which primarily encompass low-income households. The holidays can put a strain on families who cannot afford to provide their children and family with gifts. Thanks to the Youth and Family Services team as well as our partnering programs, KGW 8 and Fox 12 Oregon, gifts were given to all the youth within the program—providing help and relief for residential families.

Expresiones provides additional academic support, but its central goal and impact have evolved into something much deeper; its developed into a support system for residential families and a space to cultivate relationships—where community members are listened to. As Alex describes it, “…our goal is to build and strengthen the community and voice the needs of the people we serve… I believe that we are doing just that.”  

Beyond being a mentor and educator, Alex is an incredibly talented multimedia artist. Growing up, he had teachers and mentors who encouraged his artistic pursuits and he believes it was through their support he continued with art. He teaches his love of art to his students on a daily basis in the hope they too feel motivated to foster their individual talents. Overall, Alex shares that by teaching art, he demonstrates “the value of having someone who values and believes in your work…” ensuring to practice this value with the youth he serves.

Alex Valle is an example of a passionate and driven individual that helps Hacienda offer bilingual and bi-cultural academic support to youth in our communities.

Expresiones is an Hacienda CDC program available to residential families. Learn more about Expresiones and Youth and Family Services by clicking here.  

OregonHealthCare.gov is a great resource to learn about health coverage, financial assistance and receive Oregon Health Plan enrollment help.

Read more about health coverage in Oregon.

Health coverage in Oregon:

Get help with…

• What coverage and savings you can get at oregonhealthcare.gov/windowshop

• Financial help is available through the Marketplace for both monthly and other out-of-pocket costs

• Free coverage may be avaible to kids, teen, and adults through the Oregon Health Plant at ohp.oregon.gov

• Find free, local help at oregonhealthcare.gov/gethelp

Time is running out, enroll by January 15th!

Contact Oregon Health Plan (OHP)

Toll-Free: 855-268-3767

Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace

855‑268‑3767 (toll‑free)
info.marketplace@odhsoha.oregon.gov

The PDX 311 program is an initiative by the City of Portland to connect residents to city and county services.

Read more about this easy-to-use Tool.

PDX 311 is a tool for those living in Portland and Multnomah County to quickly access government services. Call 311 when you have a question or have a need from local government within the county.

Start with 311 when you have…

• Questions about anything from recreational programs to how to pay for a parking ticket

• Requests about anything from getting a permit to help with a fender bender

• Reports about anything from obstructed roads to leaky hydrants

Contact:

Phone: 3-1-1 or (503) 823-4000 within Multnomah County

Email: 311@portlandoregon.gov

PDX 311 staff can be reached Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., excluding federal holidays, by phone or email.

Staff is fluent in English, Spanish, Romanian, and Tagalog and has resources to assist community members in additional languages. 

PDX 311 is not a substitution for 911. During emergencies, please call 911. If you need social services, call 211.

Jaclyn Sarna, Chief Operating Officer at Hacienda

Hacienda has named Jaclyn Sarna as our newest Chief Operating Officer!

Jaclyn joined Hacienda in 2009 w s an After-School Program Coordinator in our Youth & Family Services programming. Throughout her time in Hacienda, she has served her community through Hacienda’s Youth & Family Services programming and has served as Director of Youth & Family Services since 2014. In October of 2022, Jaclyn was named interim chief operating officer, and Hacienda is honored to announce her now permanent placement as Chief Operating Officer for the organization!

Jaclyn Sarna, helping students through the Expresiones Program.

In her role as Director of Youth and Family Services Jaclyn served on the organization's Leadership Team and oversaw the Resident Services Program (serving over 2,000 residents in 10 housing communities), Expresiones (after school program for youth K-8), Portland Ninos (early childhood), and Arrobas (STEM, digital literacy, workforce readiness). She worked closely with her team to lead community engagement that informed Hacienda's housing developments, from pre-development through lease-up. Jaclyn earned her Bachelor’s in Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of Iowa in 2007 and graduated with her Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Portland State University in 2012.  Jaclyn is bilingual in Spanish and feels deeply proud to work in the Latinx community in Oregon. When working with community Jaclyn employs a trauma-informed approach and believes deeply in the power of popular education.

“We are lucky to have this team of dedicated, passionate teammates and Jaclyn continues to be a role model and exemplify what it means to commit to the betterment of our programming and organization”, says, Ernesto Fonseca, Chief Executive Officer of Hacienda CDC. ”She has served as a community leader for many years, and it is our honor to have her serve in this position where she can continue to apply her skills and deepen our impact in the communities we serve.”

We appreciate Jaclyn’s thoughtful leadership, stewardship, and tenacity and are grateful for her tenure and impact on our community and organization!

Hacienda is increasing its impact and growing its team.
Want to learn about new opportunities to build community? Visit our careers page.