As president and CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, I spend most of my time talking with Hispanic business owners and professionals about growth, opportunity, and what it takes to build something lasting. But every so often, a conversation reminds me that none of that matters without health, family and the people who make the work worth doing in the first place.
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The Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was built to empower the Hispanic community. We advocate for Hispanic entrepreneurs and professionals, but our work has never stopped at business alone. True prosperity extends beyond economic opportunity, because thriving businesses depend on healthy families and strong communities. When a community is informed and well, everything else we work toward — whether jobs, growth, or stability — becomes possible.
Taking care of each other starts with having the right information, and on one issue, too many Hispanic Floridians are missing it. That’s why the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Donate Life Florida.
More than 6,000 Floridians are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ, eye or tissue transplant, and more than one in four on the waitlist are Hispanic. Our community is disproportionately represented, yet awareness and donor registration rates among Hispanic Floridians remain low. Part of the challenge is access to information.
Health information should never be out of reach because of language or awareness. Yet too many Hispanic Floridians are missing important information about organ, eye and tissue donation. Closing that information gap is one way we can strengthen the health and future of our community.
Research shows that when Hispanic Floridians receive clear, culturally relevant information about donation, willingness to register is strong. The barrier is not compassion or shared values; it’s awareness. And awareness is something we can change.
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Donate Life Florida brings a critical, life-saving mission. The Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce brings trusted relationships, cultural understanding, and a statewide network of business and civic leaders who know how to reach people where they are. Together, we’re expanding access to educational resources that help Hispanic families understand organ donation, start honest conversations with loved ones, and make decisions that reflect their own values.
Florida has built one of the strongest economies in the nation by prioritizing growth, opportunity, and the people who power both. That strength has always depended on healthy communities. A family with access to clear health information is a family better equipped to support each other and contribute to the workforce and businesses that drive our communities and state forward.
This partnership is not about telling people what to choose; it’s about making sure our community knows they have a choice.
I encourage every Chamber member, every Hispanic professional, and every Floridian reading this to visit DonateLifeFlorida.org to learn more. Because access to life-saving information empowers our community to make informed decisions that can save lives.
Julio Fuentes serves as president and CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, representing more than 604,000 Hispanic-owned businesses across Florida.
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