Team member spotlight:
Laura De La Fuente

Laura is from Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico, currently an Ontario resident of 28 years. In her spare time she likes to do DIY projects. She also loves to sew and spend time outdoors fishing! She has been with EUVALCREE since 2017, starting out doing door-to-door outreach for the program Soy Sano which evolved to Cover All Kids. Her goal was to reach and enroll all kids in Malheur County into the Oregon Health Plan. Currently, she continues doing OHP enrollments, helps see through programs such as Small Enterprise Fund, Oregon Worker Relief, Unemployment Benefits, distributing PPE, and connecting folks to our Immigration Services program. Laura gets satisfaction from helping vulnerable communities. Laura expressed that she is humbled and blessed to see people receive the assistance they need to be able to be productive and happy community members.

Laura shares “The other day an elder gentleman came in, who did not know how to read or write. He needed help resolving a personal finance issue. Because he lived alone, he was in desperate need to figure out what happened to the missing checks. I was able to navigate him through systems, provide technical assistance, and guide him on next steps. After some time, we were able to resolve his issue! He was extremely grateful and appreciative of the help I gave him. This almost brought me to tears because I know he’s not the only one in the same circumstances to need assistance. I am so happy to work with EUVALCREE who has allowed me to assist my community in this capacity and more!”

Laura hopes to continue to learn more about computer software programs because she believes that this will allow her to grow on a personal level, as well as improve the assistance she provides to her community. Laura wants her community to know that EUVALCREE has open doors to everyone, and that she is here to help all without any interest in mind, besides ensuring that the community is happy and successful.

The EUVALCREE team has witnessed Laura’s dedication and hard work to serve her community. She has the willingness to learn and grow. In numerous instances, Laura has been seen going out of her way to help individuals by connecting them with programs or researching programs elsewhere. Community members have expressed sentiments of gratitude for the help Laura provided, and have shared she is a friendly, outgoing, kind woman. Laura has proven to be an asset to EUVALCREE and we are thankful to have her on our team!

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Gina Galaviz-Yap, Board Member

I am currently serving as Oregon State University’s Juntos Statewide Director and as the Vice President of Euvalcree board. I hold a B.S. in Business Administration and Masters in Education. The program I direct, called Junto or Together, works to empower Latino students and families around education. Our goal is to prevent Latino youth from dropping out of high school and to empower families to work together to reach their post-secondary education goals. As a first generation daughter of immigrants and a Latina college graduate, I can relate and personally advocate for the communities I represent. One of my greatest successes has been serving more than 5,000 Latino families since 2012, with 90% graduating college. My work parallels Euvalcree’s work in that we bring together diverse perspectives and experiences to resolve challenges within our communities.

Roberto Gamboa, Director of Operations and Community Development

I currently act as the Director of Operations & Community Development for EUVALCREE, supporting rural and BIPOC (Black and Indigenous People of Color) community members in Eastern Oregon. I am passionate about making changes to our policies and systems to truly benefit our local communities that are not being served equally or equitably. I genuinely believe that the work I do with Euvalcree is essential and brings positive change.

I firmly believe that our work uplifts our communities in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as an organization, we have helped over 200 families with assistance like rent/mortgage, utilities, food, and other resources they needed to quarantine and isolate. This has brought an immense feeling of pride and joy. I currently hold an Associates in General Studies from Treasure Valley Community College.