National Affiliates

National Council of La Raza (NCLR) / Texas Affiliate Member

NCLR is also among the most recognized organizations in the nonprofit sector. Those familiar with the work of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) know that we are the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., and that we are an American institution committed to strengthening this great nation by promoting the advancement of Latino families. NCLR has nearly 300 Affiliates - community-based organizations providing a range of essential services to millions of Latinos and others in need. The START Center is proud to be a National Affiliate of the National Council of La Raza.

Natrional Community Tax Coalition

The National Community Tax Coalition is a national network dedicated to strengthening economies, building communities and improving lives through tax assistance and asset building activities that produce financial security, protect familes, and promote economic justice. NCTC is the nation's largest, most comprehensive membership organization for community-based organizations offering free tax and financial services to low-income working families.

 

Coalitions

TIFA - Texas Inmate Families Association / Rio Grande Valley Chapter

Mission: Breaking the cycle of crime by strengthening families through support, education, and advocacy.

About 200,000 adult men and women are incarcerated at any one time in county jails and state correctional facilities in Texas. The state has the unenviable distinction of having more individuals behind bars than any other state in the country.

Left behind are family members and friends: 55 percent leave behind a spouse, and 85 percent or more leave behind a parent and/or child. In fact, about 75 percent of male inmates and more than 95 percent of female inmates have a child younger than 18. More than half have a child younger than 10.

Second Chance Coalition

The Second Chance Coalition of Cameron County is a multi-agency collaborative that supports strategic planning efforts in order to increase the likelihood that individuals on probation and parole will have additonal resources in place to reduce levels of recidivism. The purpose of this project is to enhance the capacity to support comprehensive, strategic planning efforts that result in improved offender outcomes and the wise use of publoc resources. The Second Chance Coalition will advocate for fair and responsible policies, and practices that allow those who have committed crimes to redeem themselves, fully support themselves and their families, and contribute to their communities to their full potential. The Cameron County Second Chance Coalition has an Annual Job Fair to bring employers together with ex-offenders in order to build awareness of a potential untapped worker pool.

Equal Voice Rio Grande Valley

The Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network is a collaborative of ten community-based organizations committed to bringing lasting social change to the neighborhoods of our community. We are guided by the principles set forth in the Equal Voice National Family Platform. We look forward to the day when working families will sit at the tables of decision makers and when these same family members will exercise their right to influence those discussions that lead to the decisions that so deeply affect the quality of the lives of their children, their grandparents, and their neighbors.

The generosity of the Marguerite Casey Foundation inspires, informs, and sustains the Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network.

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