Spanish-Language Services
RDI provides a growing suite of Spanish-language services and programs to rural Latinos throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Since 2012, RDI has delivered the Pasos al Éxito program — a two-part, Spanish-language financial literacy and business training for new and aspiring entrepreneurs – throughout rural Oregon. Sector-specific Spanish-language trainings for starting and running a small childcare and food business were added to our programming in 2022, and this last year, RDI offered a Spanish-language version of our popular “Ready, Set, Grant!” program and developed a new training called “Earn, Save, Invest.”
As our Spanish language programs have grown in popularity throughout the Pacific Northwest, the bilingual staff team continues to grow. RDI is proud to have been selected to participate in a nationwide cohort to expand our knowledge about Latino financial education. We continue to build and develop our Spanish-language services, including the addition of a Spanish-language Rural Civic Engagement Program, exploring interest in Spanish-language leadership trainings as an additional sector-based entrepreneurial program with technical assistance, and new Spanish-language curriculum has been created and provides skills related to financial investment and wealth building.
For more information about RDI’ s Spanish-language services and programs, contact –
Brenda Brown, Bilingual Senior Program Manager: 541-653-4824, bbrown@rdiinc.org
Gabriela Orellana, Bilingual Trainer and Facilitator: 541-730-8954, gorellana@rdiinc.org
Spanish-Language Programs
Pasos al Éxito
Pasos al Éxito is delivered in Spanish and is tailored to rural Latinos. Pasos al Éxito is a business and financial literacy program that consists of two trainings: “Money Smart” and “Starting A Business.” Through the “Money Smart” training, RDI provides basic financial skills and in addition supports people looking to start their own small business. In “Starting a Business,” we work with local banks and other business support organizations in the community to provide training and resources to set small businesses up for success.
Food Business Training
RDI’s Spanish-language Food Business training tailors to new and aspiring food entrepreneurs. This training is held in partnership with local food hub organizations and the county’s health department. Many new food business entrepreneurs face the challenge in finding a licensed commercial kitchen where they can produce food legally. In the training, participants visit and get hands-on experience in a commercial kitchen. This allows them to learn about the requirements in selling homemade food, product costs, marketing, inspections, and licensing requirements.
Childcare Business Training
RDI’s “Starting a Childcare Business” training provides aspiring entrepreneurs with key information for starting and successfully running a childcare business. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for participants to learn the requirements for starting a childcare business. We connect them to local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies who can help them navigate Oregon’s early learning system, access resources, and receive training to improve the quality of care they provide.
Ready, Set, Grant!
RDI and Kelley NPC, partnered to provide Spanish-language grant-writing training with content targeted to small, rural nonprofits in the Pacific Northwest. If you are looking to improve your organization’s ability to find and sustain funding, this training will help with basic concepts and provide a roadmap to funding success. A limited number of organizations will be eligible to receive one-on-one coaching from Kristin Monahan of Kelley Nonprofit Consulting.
“Earn, Save, Invest”
A majority of individuals aspire to build wealth but struggle to find a pathway for themselves and future generations. When investing, it is vital to have a solid knowledge foundation of the market products, so decisions moving forward are based off the individual’s long term and short-term goals. We want to make it as easy as possible to understand, so we begin by examining the financial habit of each participant. We help participants learn about culture & money, the basic concepts of investing, owning real estate, and saving for retirement. The purpose of this training is to help participants take the initiative in creating a safety net for their families, that will help support them and shield them from overwhelming financial stress or problems. This four-session course offers participants an opportunity to meet with a financial advisor to discuss individual financial goals.
MEET OUR TEAM
Brenda Brown
Director of Spanish Business and Financial Services
bbrown (at) rdiinc.org
Erubiel Valladares
Bilingual Program Manager
evalladares (at) rdiinc.org
Yahaira Torres
Bilingual Facilitator and Trainer
ytorres (at) rdiinc.org