Courtesy photo.
Farmworker families provided seed funding to invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds
CENTRAL COAST — People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH) has received a $50,000 grant from Wells Fargo Foundation to jumpstart the new pilot program Wealth Warrior: 2024 Financial Health and Housing for PSHH residents at the Los Adobes de Maria property in Santa Maria.
The three-month financial literacy program, taught by financial educator and author Linda Garcia, will target 25 USDA farmworker households and aims to empower participants to overcome potential financial trauma. By offering practical knowledge and actionable tactics for long-term financial planning, residents will be provided the tools to create a legacy of financial stability and prosperity for their families through wise investment practices and begin building their own stock portfolios.
“As a child of immigrants, I have personally experienced the positive impact of affordable housing resources on my family. It is with great pride that I introduce Wealth Warrior to the People’s Self-Help Housing community. This program is designed to transform money mindsets and initiate the process of building generational wealth.” said author and program facilitator Linda Garcia. “I am excited about the growth potential for our community members as they engage with this program. I am thankful to Wells Fargo for their support in funding this transformative initiative. Access to such resources enables us to envision and achieve what may seem impossible.”
By blending practical knowledge with emotional intelligence and a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by this community, the program strives to cultivate financial resilience and prosperity for farmworker families.
“As a parent, I am interested in this topic because it could help me save money for my child’s academic future,” said resident and future program participant Luz Olivo-Espinoza. “And I think it is essential to know how to manage our finances and learn about other options available for our savings besides making deposits in a regular savings account.”
This program is made possible by the generous funding of Wells Fargo, which is committed to opening pathways to economic advancement designed to empower people to lead successful financial lives and is a long-standing supporter of People’s Self-Help Housing programs across the Central Coast.
“We invest in solutions to increase financial inclusion and access, reduce debt, build savings, and address systematic inequities,” said Kären Woodruff, Senior Vice President, Community Relations at Wells Fargo. “This program aims to create new opportunities for generational wealth building and will create a shift in financial wellness.”
To learn more about People’s Self-Help Housing, visit pshhc.org.
About Linda Garcia
Linda Garcia spent 17 years working in the TV and film industry, helping well-recognized TV networks, movie studios, and streaming services build programming for the U.S. Hispanic market. Passionate about contributing to the development of her community, Linda founded In Luz We Trust, a company that educates the Latin community on the stock market. Her mission is to restructure generational beliefs to create a positive money experience through investing and higher consciousness. As the founder of In Luz We Trust, Linda develops daily digestible content explaining top stock market news. She manages a subscription-based community of over 400, mostly Latinas, providing daily and monthly content and online workshops, raising awareness of the wealth divide and the action needed. To date, Linda has been recognized as a Leader by Latino Leaders Magazine, the City of Los Angeles as a community ambassador, and The Equity Empowerment Award from A Place Called Home. Linda is a published author of the book Wealth Warrior: 8 Steps for Communities of Color to Conquer the Stock Market. Her book is currently on the shortlist for the Best in Business Book Award from the Association of Business Journalists. Linda’s work has been featured on Yahoo Finance, Univision, People En Espanol, Bloomberg Linea, CNBC, Dallas Morning News, Forbes, Nasdaq.com, Parents Latina, Apartment Therapy, Chicago Tribune, Well + Good, Create & Cultivate, MiTu, Go Banking Rates.com and was a contributor to Time’s Next Advisor. She is also the host of Investies, a podcast dedicated to making economic and stock market news digestible.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 47 on Fortune’s 2023 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.
About People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH)
Founded in 1970, PSHH is the longest-serving nonprofit affordable housing organization on the Central Coast. With a mission of building homes and providing services to strengthen communities and change lives, PSHH serves low-income households, families, seniors, veterans, farmworkers, those living with disabilities and the formerly homeless. It also provides homeownership opportunities through a self-help, “sweat equity” program that has seen over 1,200 homes successfully completed. PSHH has a presence in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Monterey counties, manages over 2,000 rental units, and employs over 200 staff members. PSHH acknowledges the indigenous people of the territories that our organization occupies, including the Chumash, Salinan, Yokuts, Kitanemuk, and Tataviam people. To read the full land acknowledgement, visit pshhc.org/IDEA. For more information about the organization, visit pshhc.org, email info@pshhc.org or phone (805) 781-3088.