About us
With nearly forty years of success, Esperanza United leverages the strengths of Latin@ communities to end gender-based violence. Founded and led by Latinas, we ground our work in listening to the community adapting to meet their changing needs. We work with the community, other service providers, and systems to ensure Latinas, their families, and our communities receive culturally relevant advocacy and quality, appropriate, and effective resources.
Our mission
Our mission is to mobilize Latinas and Latin@ communities to end gender-based violence.
Our vision
Our vision is for Latinas, their families, and communities throughout the world to recognize gender-based violence and act to end it by creating communities rooted in honor and respect.
Our theory of change
Esperanza United recognizes that it is the community that will end gender-based violence, not any system or organization, so we focus on building Latin@ community members’ capacity in this work.
Our work
Our work begins by listening to Latin@ communities, then builds upon their strengths, resilience, and guidance. For nearly 40 years, Esperanza United has been proud to be a part of the St. Paul, Minnesota community, offering critical local services, ranging from enhancing safety for Latin@ survivors to strengthening youth leadership. Fed by our roots in Minnesota, our national work is powered by our belief in the strength of Latin@s within the context of family and community and includes training, research, and public policy.
Our commitment to racial justice
At Esperanza United, we unequivocally declare that all people have human rights - including the right to live free from oppression and violence - and that the work to advance racial and gender justice is tied. We are committed to addressing race in our pursuit of social justice and decolonization practice and holding ourselves accountable for this work in community with others. Only together will we succeed at mobilizing Latinas and Latin@ communities to end gender-based violence.
Our name
Esperanza United brings together Casa de Esperanza’s Minnesota-based services and the “National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities (NLN)” into one high functioning, comprehensive organization.