As the year draws to a close, many of us reflect on the past months and consider how we can make a positive impact in our communities. One powerful way to do this is by helping us to provide more access to mental health care to Latino families. Here are several compelling reasons why your donation to El Futuro is especially important during this upcoming season.
Increased Need During the Holidays
The holiday season, while joyous for many, can be a particularly challenging time for others. Families may face heightened stress, financial strain, and emotional difficulties. El Futuro steps in to provide essential mental health services during this critical period, ensuring that those in need receive the support they require.
Maximize Impact
This period often accounts for a significant portion of our annual fundraising. By donating, you will help us to continue our vital work into the next year. Your contribution ensures that we can plan and execute programs effectively, knowing we have the necessary resources.
Tax Benefits
Donating before December 31st can also provide financial benefits to you. Contributions to El Futuro are tax-deductible, which means you can reduce your taxable income while supporting a worthy cause.
Strengthening Community Support
Our mission is to create a healthier, more resilient community by offering mental health services that benefit everyone. Your donation helps strengthen this mission, ensuring that more individuals and families can access the care they need. By supporting El Futuro, you are investing in the well-being of your community.
Sustaining Programs
These contributions ensure that we can continue to offer support to those who need it most, without interruption. Your generosity helps maintain the continuity and quality of their services, making a lasting difference in the lives of many.
Donating to El Futuro at the end of the year is a meaningful way to support mental health services for Latino families. Your contribution not only helps those in need during the holidays but also strengthens the community and sustains essential programs. We will keep you informed of future steps for your donation, stay tuned!
Alvely Alcántara, LCSW
Rossy C. Garcia, MEd 
Katy Sims, MD 
Everardo Aviles, LCSW, LCAS (Eve)
As a medical anthropologist and social work researcher, Dr. Gulbas’ research embodies interdisciplinarity through the integration of applied theories of health and human development with qualitative and ethnographic methodologies. Her work seeks to understand how people—children, families, and providers—navigate complex sociocultural landscapes in the pursuit of mental health. Most of her work, to date, focuses attention on developing more robust interpretations of suicide risk. With funding from the National Institutes of Mental Health, this body of research has contributed to advancements in theoretical and empirical knowledge of the broader contexts within which youth suicide risk is situated. 
R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez is a developmental psychologist and an assistant professor of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the principal investigator of a study that examines the impact of immigration-related threat and stress on school communities. She earned a PhD in developmental psychology from Columbia University and hold a BA in human biology from Stanford University. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first gen college student.
Dr. Parra-Cardona is an Associate Professor in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work (SHSSW) at the University of Texas at Austin. At the SHSSW, he serves as Coordinator for Mexico and Latin American initiatives. He also serves as Area Director for Research at the UT Austin Latino Research Institute. Dr. Parra-Cardona’s program of research is focused on the cultural adaptation of evidence-based parenting interventions for low-income Latinx populations in the US and Latin America.
Bianka Reese, PhD, MSPH is a research scientist and program evaluator specializing in adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her previous research in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her work as the Research and Evaluation Manager at SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led largescale evaluations of multilevel, community-based sexual health promotion initiatives and research projects aimed at elevating the voices of diverse youth in North Carolina. Dr. Reese is currently the Senior Research Strategist at Creative Research Solutions, LLC, an award-winning national evaluation, research, and assessment firm.
Tania Connaughton-Espino, MPH is an independent researcher focused on adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her interest in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her previous work with SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led the training and evaluation department, conducted capacity-building workshops for youth serving professionals including on the topic of how to be more affirming of LGBTQ youth, and from her extensive experience working with the Latinx population in NC.
Maru Gonzalez, EdD is an Assistant Professor and Youth Development Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North Carolina State University. Her areas of inquiry include youth development with a focus on activism, social justice, and the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people across familial, school, and community contexts. 
Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, PhD
Hector Y. Adames, PsyD