Hispanic Services Council, Inc.

Hispanic Services Council (HSC)—works to increase access and opportunities for Latinos and influence the systems that serve them.  To achieve its mission, HSC connects Latinos to opportunities that reduce healthcare and education disparities while empowering them via civic engagement.  HSC has as its sole mission is to assist Hispanic/Latino families and individuals fully integrate into their new community through comprehensive services providing the communication and linkages to resources and opportunities that lead to self-sufficiency.   Through its three core priorities, HSC reaches over 2,000 individuals annually.

Founded in 1992 by a group of social service professionals concerned about the lack of access to services available to Latino families, Hispanic Services Council (HSC) is a private, non-profit organization based in Tampa, FL serving Latinos throughout Hillsborough County, FL.

As the fourth largest county in Florida, Hillsborough County is home to over 300,000 Latinos; comprising 25% of the county’s 1.2 million residents—the county’s majority minority group.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Latino population saw an increase of 57% between 2000 and 2010.    Nevertheless, this population growth has not translated to new opportunities for Latinos.  

Great disparities continue to exist between Latino and non-Latino groups in Hillsborough County.  Of the 300,000 Latinos in Hillsborough County, approximately 17% live in poverty, and 14% of those are homeless.  Only 18% of Latino adults have a college degree and 31% a high school education.By comparison according to the 2010 U.S. Census, among adults 25 and older, 85% have a high school education and 28% a college degree.  Recent reports from the Florida Department of Education, 2012 FCAT indicate that only 56% of Latino third graders were reading at grade level in the 2011 school year.  

Hispanic Services Council has responded to this need by developing opportunities that result in an educated, healthy, prosperous, and engaged Latino community.  To achieve this, we offer the following programs and services:

Education

• La Red de Padres Activos (La RED)/The Network of Active Parents works to increase the academic performance of children in K-3rd grade by building the capacity of parents to engage in their children’s education living.  Program activities include parenting education, family support and leadership development.

• La Linea Hispana connects non English speaking families to appropriate services  that will help them access economic, housing, health and multiple support services to ensure family stability and self sufficiency.

• Child Development Screentings connects Latino parents with young children 0-5 years old to services that address developmental delays through in person developmental screening and information and referral to community resources that address developmental delays. 

Health

• Puentes De Salud/Bridges To Health is a community planning initiative that engages Wimauma residents to address health disparities and improve the quality of life of their community by building the leadership capacity of residents to address community conditions that affect the health and well-being of children and families.

• Healthy Shopping/Comprando Rico y Sano, focuses on providing nutrition and healthy living education as well assisting individuals apply and/or recertify for SNAP.  Program activities include grocery shopping tours, community conversation circles regarding healthy eating and nutrition advice and SNAP application and recertification assistance.

• Healthy Cooking and Eating is a 6 week cooking class facilitated by Promotoras that teaches participants how to choose healthy foods and cook nutritious and delicious meals that are easy to prepare.

Civic Engagement

• Immigration Legal Services & Advocacy as a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) accredited agency, HSC provides affordable immigration legal services to the immigrant community seeking to establish or adjust their immigration status, as well as becoming U.S. Citizens. (i.e. DACA, TPS, Adjustment of Status, UVisas, Family Petitions). A nominal fee is charged.  

HSC provides the needed communication and linkage for limited or non-English speaking families between the schools and social and human service providers.   These families and individuals will not go to agencies where, event though their needs can be met directly, they may not be able to effectively communicate their needs or they fear they will be misunderstood.  Many of the families HSC serves face economic hardships on a daily basis, and are frequently struggling to provide the basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter for their children.  HSC serves as the cultural and language mediator between the families who are learning to function in their new community and the providers who have the services and programs they need to resolve their particular adverse situations.