Opportunity/Business

BILINGUAL FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR SUCCESS: In partnership with local companies and organizations, Los Hermanos Familia held a workshop series to improve financial security in English and Spanish to individuals. The event drew about 44 participants, each Tuesday during the month of April. Los Hermanos Familia believes that with guidance individuals and families can build confidence and understanding in their personal finances. A special thanks to Lubbock National Bank, Latino Lubbock Magazine, KEY, Primerica - Aguilar Acumen, Northwest Texas Legal Aid and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

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4444 S. Loop 289

8002 University 7811 Quaker

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FREE MIGHTY wash May 9th in Texas is Willie Velásquez Day

by CHRISTY MARTINEZ-GARCIA FOR LATINO LUBBOCK MAGAZINE

May 9th in Texas is designated as a day to honoring Willie C. Velásquez. Velásquez was the founder of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP) founded in 1974. He envisioned for Latinos to play an important role in the American Democratic process. He was born on May 9, 1944, and was raised in the west side of San Antonio, Texas. Velásquez was one of the founding members of the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO); a Chicano youth organization aimed at social action. His role in MAYO led to becoming Texas' first statewide Coordinator of El Movimiento Social de la Raza Unida, the precursor of La Raza Unida Party. His involvement with Latino organizations was extensive. In 1968 as Boycott Coordinator for the United Farm Workers (UFW), he organized strikes at the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. After leaving the UFW he became the founder and director of the Mexican American Unity Council in San Antonio, Texas. In 1970 he was named Field Director of the Southwest Council of La Raza. From 1972 to July 1974, he concentrated his efforts on building the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP). Willie opened SVREP in 1974, to focus on increasing Latino political participation in the American democratic process. Over the next fourteen years Willie organized a massive increase in Latino voting across the southwest principally using the tactic of nonpartisan voter registration and voting rights lawsuits. He enlisted the aid of Community organizers, and together they launched hundreds of voter registra tions and get-outthe-vote (GOTV) campaigns throughout the southwest. In 1985, Willie launched Southwest Voter Research Institute to develop research and policy for the growing cohort of Latino elected officials. But Velásquez did not get to see the fruits of his dreams, he passed away on June 15, 1988 of complications from kidney cancer. The legacy of Velásquez is apparent-since its inception, SVREP has cultivated 50,000 community leaders, successfully litigated 85 voting rights law suits and has conducted 2,300 non-partisan,voter registration and GOTV campaigns. Consequently, voter registration has grown over the years from 2.4 million registered Latinos in 1974 to 7 million nationwide in 1998. But his vision involved more than just getting Latinos to the ballot box, Velásquez sought to bring into the democratic process an active and informed Latino electorate. In 1995, President Bill Clinton awarded Velásquez the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor any civilian can receive - and the second Latino ever to earn that honor. In 1996, his name was attached to the US Senate version of the Voting Rights Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 1996. And in 1997, the Southwest Voter Research Institute was changed to the William C Velásquez Institute (WCVI) as a way to honor and perpetuate Velásquez's vision and legacy.

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Professional Development

FREE GED TEST PREPARATION

CLASSES. Need to study to pass the GED? Literacy Lubbock offers free, flexible, and casual prep classes at various times to fit in with your busy schedule. Call us at 806-7753636 for more information or register for Free classes at www.literacylubbock.org.

FREE GED AND ESL CLASSES

for Lubbock and the surrounding area offered by Adult Education Center. We accept new students on a bimonthly basis. You must be at least 17 years old and not enrolled in public school to be eligible for the classes. For more info call 806-2815750. Open Mon. thru Fri. from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. BASIC ENGLISH CLASS – Clase de Inglés – aprender Inglés básico, 3211 58th Street, (east of Indiana) Lubbock. Horas: Cada Miércoles a las 7:30-8:30 de la noche. 806-239-5352 GRATIS!!

CHILD CARE AVAILABLE FOR INCOME-ELIGIBLE FAMILIES

Families who are income eligible may receive fee assistance to attend one of the Early Learning Center’s five centers for child care. Parents or caretakers must be employed or in school. The program is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (806) 765-9981 for more information.

CLASES DE INGLÉS COMO SE-

GUNDA IDIOMA La Literacia de Lubbock (Literacy Lubbock) ofrecen clases gratis de inglés como segundo idioma (English as Second Language) para la comunidad. Todos los adultos están bienvenido en estas clases. Para más información, llame a (806) 775-3636.

FREE CRIMINAL DEFENSE

ATTORNEY: The Caprock Regional Public Defender Office offers free legal representation to 13 surrounding West Texas Counties. The office handles Felony, Misdemeanor and Juvenile cases for citizens that cannot afford to hire a criminal defense lawyer. Call (806) 742-4312 to see if your county qualifies for this service. IMMIGRATION SERVICES If you need help with immigration issues call 806-741-0409.

SERVICIOS DE INMIGRACIÓN

Si necesitan ayuda con asuntos de inmigración llame a este numero (806) 7410409.

REFERRAL FOR QUALITY

CHILD CARE in Lubbock by the South Plains Day Home Association helps parents with free referrals to licensed or registered day care facilities that are routinely monitored by the Texas Department and Protective Services. Call 796-0606 or 792-1847 for more information.

DO YOU HAVE NEWS? Submit your business news online at www.latinolubbock.net/ have-a-story or call (806)792-1212

Business & Opportunity Updates

Consumer Confidence

7TH ANNUAL SMALL BUSINESS

EXPO Open to small business owners, disadvantaged business owners, potential business owners and entrepreneurs; local, state and federal government agents; and anyone with an interest in nurturing small business, the expo provides the chance to develop business connections and relationships with smaller and disadvantaged vendors. Tuesday (May 3), 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Frazier Alumni Pavilion, 2680 Drive of Champions.

HOW TO FINANCE YOUR

SMALL BUSINESS Learn the basics of small business loans. May 3, 9, 11, 17, 23, 25, and the 31st. At 12 p.m. via Webinar . Register at https://nwtsbdc.ecenterdirect. com/events/15810 TAX FORMS AT LIBRARIES they have forms 1040 and 1040-SR in English and Spanish available at all locations. Instruction books are available in English only at the moment. You can also access all available forms and instructions from home at www. irs.gov. BUSINESS COUNSELING Small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs can discuss their business ventures and get expert advice from the SBDC staff. All information will be held in strict confidence. For a counseling sessions call (806) 745-1637.

LOW INCOME TAXPAYER CLIN-

IC The TTU School of Law operates a “FREE” Low Income Taxpayer Clinic year around to provide assistance relating to issues involving controversies with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For more info call (806) 834-7972 or toll free (800) 420-8037.

DO YOU HAVE NEWS? Submit your business news online at www.latinolubbock.net/ have-a-story or call (806)792-1212

Rising Among U.S. Hispanics

Fechas de votación de las elecciones generales

The Hispanic Consumer Sentiment Index increased to 92 in the first quarter of 2022 from 86.7 in the fourth quarter but remains unchanged from the first quarter of 2021, according to the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) in FAU's College of Business. FAU BEPI asked five questions of respondents, and they displayed increasing optimism in four of the five. In the first quarter of 2022, 65 percent of Hispanics said they are better off financially than a year ago, up from 59 percent in the last quarter of 2021. Meanwhile, 73 percent of respondents indicated they will be better off over the next year, compared with 70 percent from the fourth quarter of 2021. The survey found that millennials under the age of 35 were especially optimistic about the next year. "This is important because millennial Latinos make up a large part of the Latino adult population," said Monica Escaleras, Ph.D., director of FAU BEPI. "Many of these young Latinos are graduating from college and joining the job market for the first time, and their prospects are excellent because unemployment among Latinos

has dropped sharply over the past year." Hispanics also were more optimistic about the country's short- term and longterm outlooks than they were in the fourth quarter. Respondents weren't as bullish on buying a big-ticket item for the home, although soaring home prices and recent auto price hikes didn't discourage them from thinking now is a good time to buy a house or car. Inflation hit 8.5 percent in March, reaching a mark not seen since 1981, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced this week. Officials said price hikes for gas, housing and food contributed to the inflation, but some economists are predicting this could be the peak. The FAU poll is based on a sampling of 612 Hispanic adults from Jan. 1 to March 31. The margin of error is +/- 3.96 percentage points. The survey was administered using both landlines via IVR data collection and online data collection using Dynata. Responses for the entire sample were weighted to reflect the national distribution of the Hispanic population by region, gender, age, education and income, according to latest American Community Survey data. General Election Voting Dates

Early Voting continues through Tuesday, May 3, 2022. The last day to apply for a Ballot by Mail (Received, not Postmarked): is Tuesday, April 26, 2022. And, Election Day will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2022. All early polling locations on the dates, times, and locations can be found at www.votelubbock.org

La votación anticipada continúa hasta el martes 3 de mayo de 2022. El último día para solicitar una boleta por correo (recibida, sin matasellos): es el martes 26 de abril de 2022. Y el día de las elecciones será celebrada el sábado 7 de mayo de 2022. Todos los sitios de votación adelantada en las fechas, horarios y localidades que se listan a www. votelubbock.org

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8001 Quaker Ave Ste. G Lubbock, TX 79424 (806)745-2555 www.anaborrego.com Hablo Español

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