Grantee Spotlight:
Haitian Neighborhood Center, Sant La

Three years ago, “Mrs. Y” filed her taxes using a disreputable tax preparer who left her finances in disarray. The IRS audited Mrs. Y and penalized her by barring her from receiving the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for three years. Frustrated, Mrs. Y turned to Sant La (which means “neighborhood center” in Creole) and they took over her case.

Through the help from a grant from the Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade, Alphonse Piard, Sant La’s Director of Financial Literacy Services, spent several months diligently re-filing Mrs. Y’s taxes to clear her case with the IRS. Piard was able to get Mrs. Y’s EITC reimbursed and one month later, she used that money as a down payment to buy a house.

Piard says, “Knowing that a group of women put their money together to fund this through the Women’s Fund is empowering. It’s beyond words. It helps us to do more and go further in cases that are changing lives.”

This is one of the many victories won by this neighborhood center that provides free services to South Florida’s Haitian community like financial fitness classes, free tax preparation, civics presentations and “Teleskopi” a weekly television show on Comcast Channel 19.

“Haitians are a saving community,” Sant La’s Executive Director, Gepsie Metellus explains. “Sometimes we save at the risk of enjoying life. This is a skill and tradition we are working to harness so we can save with a purpose.”

In 2006, Sant La’s tax preparation services returned over $2 million to the community. This year, Sant La expects even more to come back, which results in higher levels of financial independence that leads to increased savings, new small businesses and home buying.

A primary focus of Sant La’s financial literacy programs is addressing the lack of access to information about public services that affect quality of life. This includes information about filing taxes, applying for food stamps and starting businesses. Sant La’s approach has women at the center in order to circulate this vital information deep into the community.

Metellus explains, “At Sant La, we reach out in a deliberate manner to women to increase the community’s financial literacy. Historically, women have always run the show – women make sure the impossible happens.”

Piard adds, “Our programs empower the women by showing them how to use and understand the system. In Haiti, women are compared to the Mapou tree, a solid tree with a deep root system. Women in the Haitian community are the ones making decisions for the well-being of the community and pushing it higher.”

The confidence of women increases as they build their financial awareness. Sant La’s small business program has exploded in recent years as more women are becoming self-employed.

Piard says, “Traditions are changing with time. The perceptions of women working outside of the home are changing by both men and women.” He adds, “Women are discovering that they can exist financially on their own and it’s exciting for them. They go to church and pass out flyers and see their sales increase. It gives them a sense of hope, as they realize ‘I can make it.’”