Hispanic Unity of Florida

Specialties

Hispanic Unity of Florida (HUF) was founded 30 years ago by community leaders to ease the acculturation transition for newcomers from other nations. HUF has served as South Florida’s Ellis Island for new immigrants arriving in Broward County. Since 1982, our purpose has been «Empowering Hispanics, and other members of the community, to become self-​sufficient, civically engaged and lead productive lives.» Serving over 20,000 clients from more than 25 nations, HUF offers a «one-​stop-​shop» with 21 services in three languages to Broward’s diverse community.

Programs — Education: Unity 4Kids — Early Childhood Education Center; Unity 4Teens — Year Round After School

Programs — Economic Development: Center for Working Families; Emerging Entrepreneurs program; Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program; English Classes (ESOL)

Programs — Civic Engagement & Legal: Citizenship Classes & Naturalization Application Services; Voter Registration; Legal Consultations & Referrals; Immigration

History

Established in 1982.

Hispanic Unity was born in 1982 from the strong desire of one person to make a difference. Eugenio Torres, who envisioned a service agency that would help immigrants in Broward County adapt to life in the US, gathered a group to brainstorm his idea. The result was an organization staffed by eight people who assisted clients with acculturation, employment and translation.

Today, HUF has grown far beyond that vision — the agency offers services in three languages in everything from child care to financial literacy to civic engagement, and operates from six different locations throughout the county. We offer support to clients of all ages in critically important areas including English classes, employment skills/​job placement, a licensed preschool, youth after school and summer programs, financial literacy, free tax preparation and more. Our track record of success is borne out in the lives of the new Americans who have benefited from our work and are now able to lead productive lives.

Meet the Manager

Josie B.

Manager

Josie Bacallao is the CEO & President of Hispanic Unity of Florida.