Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: 7 Cleveland Organizations Making Impact

This September 15 through October 15, let’s celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by doing more than attending an event or sharing a post. Learn something new, support a Hispanic-owned business, attend a cultural event, volunteer, connect someone with a resource, or support an organization doing meaningful work. Here is list of organizations doing great work in our community, so check them out and spread the word!

From the Classroom to Career

Esperanza, Inc. focuses on education and community services, with programs that reach learners from youth through adulthood. Its programs include academics, mentoring, youth leadership, adult education, post-secondary support, and STEAM programming. Its impact also includes scholarships, college support, and programs designed to help students stay on track toward graduation and future careers.

Esperanza reminds us that investing in education means investing in the next generation of Latino leaders.

Address: 3104 W 25th St, 4th Floor Cleveland, OH 44109

Keep the Hispanic fiesta going: Just a few steps from Esperanza, visit Old San Juan, a local fine jewelry store owned by a Puerto Rican family.

Building Pathways to Opportunity

For more than five decades, the Spanish American Committee (SAC) has an important resource for Cleveland’s Hispanic community. This nonprofit organization provides a wide range of services, including workforce development, bilingual childcare, housing counseling, financial literacy, family support, and English-language classes.

The Spanish American Committee’s work demonstrates how celebrating Hispanic heritage can also mean creating access, opportunity, and a stronger future for families.

Address: 4407 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113

Keep the Hispanic fiesta going: Stop by Goldie’s Donuts & Bakery, a Puerto Rican-owned business located just down the street

Building a Stronger Latino Community

Avanzamos Unidos, formerly known as the Young Latino Network (YLN), is focused on building a stronger Latino community in Ohio. Through its work in community engagement, resources, campaigns, policy, and leadership development, the organization creates opportunities for Latino people to connect, participate, and help shape the future of their communities.

Address: 2085 W 114th St, Cleveland, OH 44102

Keep the Hispanic fiesta going: Just next door, grab a coffee from Dahlia Coffee Co., one of Cleveland’s best-known local coffee shops, proudly owned by a Mexican entrepreneur.

Supporting Entrepreneurship

For entrepreneurs and small business owners, the Hispanic Business Center (HBC) is an important resource for turning ideas into businesses and helping existing businesses grow.

HBC provides bilingual business development services to entrepreneurs at different stages. Its business advisors can support entrepreneurs with business planning, financial management, access to capital, marketing, certifications, accounting, and other areas of business development.

Address: 3140 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44109

Keep the Hispanic fiesta going: HBC is located inside CentroVilla25, so while you’re visiting, take a tour and enjoy delicious Latin food at the different kiosks in Mercado Rosa, or shop for special cultural items at Mercado Verde.

Welcoming Newcomers & Strengthening Neighborhoods

Building Hope in the City works to help Cleveland residents and neighborhoods thrive, with a particular focus on refugees and immigrants, housing and community development, city leadership, and social enterprise.

Through its Hope Center for Refugees and Immigrants, the organization offers resources including English classes, citizenship preparation, job placement, career pathways, immigration and legal services, and family programming.

Address: 3274 W 58th St, Cleveland, OH 44102

Keep the Hispanic fiesta going: In the same neighborhood, enjoy baked treats and delicious sandwiches at Gually’s Bakery, where you can also find groceries and specialty items from Puerto Rico.

Connecting People to Community

One Hope NEO works with individuals, families, volunteers, and community organizations across Cleveland’s Near West Side. Some of the services they offer include family support, community outreach, volunteer opportunities, resource navigation, and assistance connecting residents with local organizations and services.

Located in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, One Hope NEO provides many of its services in Spanish, supporting the area’s large Hispanic community and helping residents access the resources and assistance they need.

Address: 3202 Fulton Rd, Cleveland, OH 44109

Keep the Hispanic fiesta going: Just three blocks away, you’ll find Las Dos Fronteras, an authentic Mexican restaurant. Give it a try!

Keeping Culture Alive Through Art

Founded in 1989 by Daisy Rivera and through the combined efforts of the Cultural Educational Institute for Boricua Advancement (CEIBA) and the Hispanic Parents Union, the center was created to serve Latino youth and families while fostering cultural pride and appreciation for the arts.

Today, the center offers community programming and workshops, including Unidos Por El Arte and the Latina Image Leadership Program, while continuing to create opportunities for people of all ages to engage with Latino arts and culture.

Address: 2800 Archwood Ave, Cleveland, OH 44109

Keep the Hispanic fiesta going: Just two blocks away, you’ll find one of the best Dominican restaurants in Cleveland: Quisqueya La Bella, a place that will transport you to the Caribbean with just one bite.

Cleveland Puerto Rican Heritage Coalition

📍HOUGH / GLENVILLE / ST. CLAIR SUPERIOR / UNIVERSITY CIRCLE