The journey that led me to Latino Community Foundation is the realization of my own American dream. I came to this country at the age of 9 as a refugee from Russia. There were kids who made fun of us for not knowing the language, for our outfits and our food–but there were also those who welcomed us. There were people who made me feel like I belonged. That’s who I’ve always wanted to become, someone who welcomes people home–back to themselves and to their community.
That’s what brought me to the Latino Community Foundation 7 years ago. At that time, we were on the brink of something big. A vision to energize, engage and invest in the Latino community, the future of California. With your support, we’ve made many of our wildest dreams come true.
• We built the largest Latino Giving Circle network in the nation! Our members invest with values and are a big part of our family.
• We launched the groundbreaking Latino Nonprofit Accelerator because we believe in the brilliance of our grassroots leaders and want philanthropy to be about love, trust and change, not charity.
• Our cultural festivals, Policy Summits, and Gubernatorial Forums have gotten us closer to the people and their dreams for our State.
We have achieved all of this by being authentically ourselves. We have lived our values and put people, love, and joy at the center of this work. We have built an organization that is led by people with vision and grit. An organization that leads with hope, not fear.
My work at LCF is the realization of my own American dream. I have the privilege of using my talents to build a cultural, political and philanthropic home that welcomes anyone who dares to believe that radical change is possible.
Today, I ask you to invest in our mission. We have so many dreams to fulfill in this New Year. With your support, I know that we will get it done. DONATE HERE.
With love, always,
Masha V. Chernyak
Vice President of Programs
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