Esperanza

Woven throughout Esperanza’s suite of programs and services is a belief that while transitioning poverty to opportunity relies on ramps that are both in and of the neighborhoods they serve; the spark of lasting change ultimately begins within people and our ability to reinforce alternate narratives, such as the hope and belief in the possibility of an improved life. This critical personal asset of self-efficacy underlies Esperanza’s theory of change. In the words of Esperanza founder and CEO Reverend Luis Cortés, “a person has to believe they have a chance to take a chance.” Opportunity communities contain alternate narratives of hope that increase the likelihood of residents developing self-confidence. All of Esperanza’s institutions and programs approach students, clients, and community members with the aim of encouraging hope, cultivating personal responsibility, exercising voice, strengthening influence, and delivering transformative experiences. ESPERANZA’S TRANSFORMATIVE VISION We envision geographies of poverty being transformed by hope into communities of opportunity. Opportunity communities are places where people want to live. They are characterized by increasing prosperity, decent and affordable housing, growing businesses, great schools, safe streets, creative spaces and robust community life. For more than thirty years we have been working out that vision in North Philadelphia, and we believe that what we are about to achieve in our neighborhood is a model for national replication. As one of the nation’s largest Hispanic, faith-based nonprofit organizations, Esperanza is a catalyst for local, regional, and national change. Addressing the root causes of systemic poverty, Esperanza invests in institutions that serve as the building blocks for opportunity. These institutions ensure local economies of affordability that make place indispensable. Esperanza’s more than 450 dedicated employees follow a comprehensive ecosystem approach to programming that delivers transformative experiences through affordable housing, charter schools, economic and corridor development, housing counseling, immigration legal services, a school of music, workforce development, youth leader training, and a fully-accredited university branch campus. OUR AIMS AND ACHIEVEMENTS We have been creating an opportunity community for 30 years, and we believe we are close to finalizing a model with the potential for replication in poor communities.