Cafecito con MAF: Recent Episodes
Mission Asset Fund (MAF)
Cafecito con MAF is a podcast about showing up and doing more. Since 2007, Mission Asset Fund (MAF) has worked to bring low-income and immigrant households out of the financial shadows. How do we do this? By building on what is already good in people's lives and listening at every step in their journeys. We invite you to do the same!
After more than two years of the pandemic, it’s up to all of us to show up, do more, and do better for communities who have been left behind. As we reflect on the Rapid Response Fund, what’s next?
In the final episode of our first season, MAF CEO José Quiñonez sits down with Efrain Segundo, MAF Financial Education and Engagement Manager. They chat about the Immigrant Families Recovery Program, MAF’s UBI+ program for immigrant families excluded from federal COVID-19 relief. Together, they outline a better way forward beyond cash, one that recognizes people’s human dignity and allows them to advocate for themselves in their next fight — whatever it may be.
At every step of the way, trusted partners showed up alongside MAF to support students, workers, and immigrant families left out of federal relief during the pandemic. Their partnership allowed us to reach more people with critical cash assistance, making people feel seen and heard.
In this episode, Alex Altman sits down with one of those partners, April Yee, Senior Program Officer at College Futures Foundation. A leader in the higher education space, College Futures Foundation partnered with MAF and others to launch the California College Student Emergency Support Fund. Alex and April share insights into how the pandemic impacted college students and discuss learnings from our collaboration to provide $500 cash grants to low-income California college students.
In a single night, Diana, an entrepreneur and working mom, had to close her doggy daycare business, calling her clients one by one to inform them that the COVID-19 pandemic was forcing her to shut down her dream — at least temporarily.
Listen as Diana chats with Doris Vasquez, MAF Senior Client Success Manager. Diana details the challenges she faced as a business owner during the pandemic. But even in these difficult times, Diana found hope through strong community ties and support systems.
The pandemic turned all of our lives upside down, but millions of immigrants and their family members were excluded from the very relief that could have helped. Without it, how did immigrants weather the crisis? And in the face of such overwhelming need, how did MAF get cash grants into the hands of those who would benefit most from cash assistance?
Hear how MAF launched our Rapid Response Fund firsthand from two MAFistas: Rocio Rodarte, Policy and Communications Manager, and Joanna Cortez Hernandez, Director of the Engagement and Mobilize Team. Together, they share behind-the-scenes stories of how MAF listened to clients, partnered with other trusted community organizations, and leveraged technology to get more than 63,000 grants to students, workers, and immigrants excluded from federal COVID-19 relief.
Welcome to Cafecito con MAF, a podcast about showing up and doing more. More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems like everyone is waiting to “get back to normal.” But for the millions of immigrant families, students, and workers excluded from stimulus checks and federal COVID-19 relief, the struggle is far from over.
Join MAF CEO José Quiñonez and MAF Policy & Communications Manager Rocio Rodarte to hear the untold story of those left behind. They discuss the financial devastation of immigrant families, the enormous challenge of delivering $55 million in cash assistance, and a call-to-action that’s more relevant than ever: show up, do more, and do better.