Knowledge Base

On the evening of Wednesday, October 14, Orlando City Hall glowed purple. Inside and out, more than 100 people gathered for the 5th annual Lighting Orlando Purple, a Domestic Violence Awareness Month event hosted by our partners at Nuevo Sendero. Esperanza United President and CEO Vivian Huelgo, J.D., was honored to […]

For many Latine families, faith shows up in everyday life: a prayer before a long drive, a candle lit for someone we love, a Sunday spent in community. For survivors of domestic violence, that faith can be a lifeline. It can also, in the wrong hands, become a tool for control. […]

At Esperanza United, we know no single organization or person is going to end domestic and sexual violence alone – it takes communities working together. That’s why Latina leadership and community-based solutions are two of our organizational values. To advance this strengths-based approach, Esperanza United President and CEO Vivian Huelgo, J.D. […]

In early August, I had the opportunity to present at the National Conference on Domestic Violence and share what I’ve been learning alongside Latine advocates. As someone who continues to provide direct service in our community, I see firsthand the barriers survivors face as they try to access services and systems. […]

As we get closer to our 45th anniversary, our team has been looking back at the roots of this work. And when you want to know where you come from, you go to the people who were there. Our CEO Vivian Huelgo,JD and Adriana Alejandro Osorio, Phd recently sat down with […]

On Tuesday, September 29, the Minnesota Truth Council held the fourth and final of its public meetings at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, centered on the theme “A Window into Policies and Systems Contributing to Harm.” Annika Gifford, our Chief Strategy and Programs Officer, testified on behalf of Esperanza United […]

When we hear the words “domestic violence,” many of us picture physical violence: a bruise, an injury, a moment when something has clearly gone too far.  But abuse doesn’t always begin, or appear, that way. It can look like someone checking your phone constantly, deciding who you can spend time with, […]

Growing up in a Latin@ household often means growing up with sayings. They show up at family dinners, in advice from tías, in things we hear so often we stop questioning them. Some of these phrases are harmless. Others quietly taught us to accept things we never should have accepted, especially […]

Esperanza United was honored to serve on the Minnesota Host Committee for this year’s Hispanic Heritage Awards, a historic moment as the ceremony left Washington, D.C. for the first time in its 39-year history, coming instead to Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. This year’s Humanitarian Award recognized the people of Minnesota and […]

Growing up in a Latin@ household often means growing up with sayings. They show up at family dinners, in advice from tías, in things we hear so often we stop questioning them. Some of these phrases are harmless. Others quietly taught us to accept things we never should have accepted, especially […]