Latinos United for Change Coalition (LUCHA) Secures Historic $30 Million in the State Budget to Support New York’s Latino Community

On June 3, Assemblymembers Amanda Septimo and Karines Reyes joined the Puerto Rican Hispanic Task Force, elected officials, community leaders, and representatives from various Latino-serving organizations, all of whom comprise Latinos United for Change (LUCHA) to announce an historic $30 million in the state budget awarded to support New York’s Latino Community. 

Literacy in Community’s (LINC) Senior Director of Advocacy and Strategic Initiatives, Albania Jimenez and Director of Strategic Initiatives, Karen Rogel participated in the press conference at the Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation for this extraordinary moment.  

Latinas must be full participants in the civic, cultural, and economic life of our city, our state, and our country. At Literacy in Community, we believe that participation begins with literacy — and that learning to read starts at birth. Early literacy is not just a foundation for academic success; it’s the key to informed civic engagement, economic opportunity, and community leadership.

We are proud to partner with LUCHA in laying the groundwork for a future where every child, every family, and every community has the tools to thrive. This investment in early literacy is an investment in equity, democracy, and long-term change.

We are deeply grateful for the financial support included in the FY26 New York State budget — and even more grateful for what it represents: a commitment to building strong, literate communities where Latinas and all families can lead and flourish. –Karen Rogel, LINC’s Director of Strategic Initiatives 

LINC is proud to take part in LUCHA, a statewide coalition of Latino-serving institutions, community leaders, and elected leaders all working to uplift and strengthen New York’s Latino community. We are thrilled and grateful for these funds and excited to work with our partners to build this effort across New York State.

For more information, contact LINC’s Director of Strategic Initiatives Karen Rogel at krogel@lincnyc.org.