I am happy to join the MAF Team!

Greetings! My name is Lorena Melgarejo and I am the new Community Engagement Program Director. This is my first full week at Mission Asset Fund | Fondo Popular de la Misión, and in such short time, I have already experienced a taste of MAF's vibrant work in our community. It is truly an honor to join this incredible team.

As a way of introduction, I would like to share a bit about my background with you. I am an immigrant from Paraguay, and I came to the US fifteen years ago in my late teens. I’ve spent the past 10 years as a community organizer in the Bay Area, organizing with workers through labor unions and later, organizing with the faith-based community in San Francisco. Since 2005, I worked hard to develop immigrant leaders and efficient organizing committees in the Mission, and throughout San Francisco. An important lesson I learned from these experiences is that the most effective advocates are everyday people empowered to speak with their own voice to share their experiences, define problems, set their own priorities and work strategically to win solutions.

I am eager to work with MAF because I see that we are doing innovative work to dissipate the most deeply ingrained and destructive myths about our immigrant communities, which say that immigrants drain the US economy, don’t pay taxes and just come here to use welfare sending all their money back to their home countries. MAF's work shines a light on the true nature of the immigrant community. Every MAF participant who makes the effort to save money in an IDA or a Cesta Popular and finds the time to educate themselves through our programs is living proof to the resiliency of our immigrant communities that ultimately enrich our nation.

I am ready to put my "granito de arena" to move this important work forward!