¡HICA!, founded in 1999, is a trusted, deep-rooted community institution that empowers over 3,500 Hispanic families every year across Alabama through responsiveness and quality programs. ¡HICA! is structured around four inter-connected programs and its emergent CDFI, Camino Loan Fund, that provides linguistically and culturally appropriate services. Through these programs, ¡HICA! creates opportunities for Latino and immigrant families, builds strong and safe communities, opens doors to education, housing, and entrepreneurship, and makes Alabama a more welcoming and inclusive state.
OUR PROGRAMS:
Strong Families is the gateway program that assists individuals with information and referrals on health, education, and legal issues. The program provides comprehensive case management for victims of crime and provides wraparound family services for recently arrived immigrant families, including funds for emergency assistance. The program also works with law enforcement to assist human trafficking victims.
The Citizenship and Immigration Program (CIP) provides low-cost and high-quality legal immigration services for naturalization, permanent residency, family petitions, humanitarian visas, and DACA renewals. The program has recently launched an ESL program for those seeking citizenship via naturalization.
Empowering Communities Program (ECP) leads ¡HICA!’s college access and workforce development initiatives for Latinos. It also houses the organization’s non-partisan civic engagement efforts to register voters and increase voter participation as well as spearheads census efforts to accurately count the Hispanic population in Alabama.
Community Economic Development promotes financial stability and wealth creation by empowering Latinos and immigrants to establish new small businesses, create jobs, file income tax returns, and become first-time homeowners.
Camino Loan Fund: ¡HICA!’s emergent CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) provides loans to Latino, immigrant, and LMI (Low to moderate income) small business entrepreneurs to create inclusive economic growth. Since 2019, ¡HICA! has deployed over $400,000 in loans to immigrant entrepreneurs to help grow their businesses.
Mission
¡HICA! is a community development and advocacy organization that champions economic equality, civic engagement, and social justice for Latino and immigrant families in Alabama.
2022 Highlights
• Opened 34 new small businesses and created 64 new jobs.
• Registered 43 Latino youth to our college access program.
• Helped 76 individuals become US Citizens.
• Filed 38 humanitarian visas to victims of crime.
• Counseled 84 potential homeowners for housing.
• Successfully recruited over 30 Latinos to workforce training programs provided by corporate partners and community colleges.
• Lent over $200k to entrepreneurs.
Upcoming Events
¡HICA! ‘s Open House – Cinco de Mayo (May 5th)
¡HICA!’s Job Fair & ¡HICA! Night con Los Barons – June 3rd, 2023 at Regions Field
Birmingham Pig Roast – August 19th, 2023 at Cahaba Brewing Company
Sabor y Cultura – Fall 2023
20th Annual Tamale Sale – November 24th to December 10th , 2023
117 Southcrest Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209
(205) 942-5505 • www.hicaalabama.org
