Ceiba
For more than 20 years, Ceiba has served Philadelphia’s low-income Latino community, making significant headway as a voice for their city’s Latino families and immigrants. Modestly staffed by 3 dedicated individuals, Ceiba operates as a coalition of Latino community-based organizations, drawing on the support of 4 employees from their member organizations, work study students, and dozens of volunteers. It is their combined mission to “foster community and economic development in Philadelphia’s Latino community through collaboration and collective action.”
Ms. Varela-Encarnación, a tax-preparation client of Ceiba’s since 2006, is an example of the lasting relationships and strong results that Ceiba’s immigrant asset building project strives to produce. Ceiba has helped her file taxes with an Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITIN) number, gain documented status, acquire a social security number and enroll in the IDA savings program for first time homebuyers. Ceiba now offers her ongoing support as she prepares to become a homeowner.
Executive Director, Will Gonzalez, is most excited about Ceiba’s asset building work with immigrants like Ms. Varela-Encarnación. Ceiba, Gonzalez describes, approaches asset building as striving “to help immigrants improve their economic situation not only by encouraging them to pay their taxes, open bank accounts and adopt energy conservation, but also by helping them realize that securing free health insurance for their US born children and keeping their children in school are asset building activities for their family.”
Ceiba is the only organization that attends to the asset building needs of unauthorized immigrants. They help those who wish to apply for Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs) and link the ITIN application process with financial literacy, opening bank accounts, and accessing programs for the health and well being of their children. In 2010, the IRS granted Ceiba the status of Certifying Acceptance Agent, allowing them to process ITINs. It is the only Latino community-based organization in Pennsylvania with such a designation.
Beyond asset building, however, Ceiba also provides for the tax assistance and advocacy needs of their community. Ceiba began providing free tax preparation assistance in 2004 and it is a founding partner of the Campaign for Working Families in Philadelphia—a program which offers free filing of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); connects Philadelphia residents to other tax credits, work supports and asset-building resources; trains volunteers and operates free tax filing sites throughout Philadelphia. Through this campaign, Ceiba has helped families and individuals file 2,710 tax returns and have brought in $4.1 million in Gross State and Federal refunds.
Since 2003, Ceiba has also helped 566 people become first time homeowners and has provided 12,345 units of housing counseling services, taking full advantage of the contract they secured with the Philadelphia Office of Housing and Community Development in 1991.
Ceiba’s work is impactful, and it is with excitement that Gonzalez and his team look forward to their upcoming work with the community. Their advocacy efforts are focused on continuing to ensure equal access to city services for limited English proficient (LEP) populations, building on the success of the Language Access Cards they previously helped produce (cards which people can use to inform city service providers that the cardholder is requesting interpretation or other appropriate language access services).
Gonzalez believes “there is a need for a greater awareness of the growing economic power of the new immigrant community”. By serving this community and by contributing to the Latino community as a whole, Ceiba is spreading awareness and helping the community stand on its own. Ceiba is powerfully and humbly fighting to build a more secure financial future for their Latino community, and their success is well-deserved.
Will Gonzalez also serves as the Co-Chair of the Language Access Committee of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, and he is a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Task Force on Access to Justice for People with Limited English Proficiency.
