In mid-December 2024, the HCCL was one of 65 nonprofit institutions in south Louisiana that received an ‘Impact 59 Powered by Entergy’ financial legacy grant awarded by a committee that included the Super Bowl Host Committee, NFL Foundation, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Entergy, Ochsner Health, the New Orleans Saints, the NOLA Coalition, and Venture Global. The program was designed to provide lasting support for local organizations.
“It was a very proud moment to be recognized in this way,” HCCL President and CEO Mayra Pineda says. “Obviously, the grant affords us funding to continue supporting and promoting growth for the employers and employees of our state, but receiving this grant put the spotlight on our organization, our mission.
“We’re grateful for the donors, because to be recognized in this way serves as a reminder that we’re doing the right thing,” Pineda adds.
More than 300 regional nonprofits applied for the Impact 59 grant, which allocated funds from a total pool of $3.5 million to entities that facilitate growth and progress in youth development, workforce training, education, and equity and inclusion. HCCL was represented in two official Super Bowl LIX committees: Economic Development and Supplier Diversity. Pineda says these types of grants are vital in order to keep HCCL programs free to its membership and to attract the type of experts needed to elevate the bottom line of blossoming Hispanic-owned businesses.
“The impact of this grant for an organization of our size is tremendous,” Pineda says. “As many know, we serve the entire state of Louisiana, so to have the means to expand our programs – expand the type of outreach and programs, education, and services that were used so that some of our Hispanic-owned small businesses could secure contracts to facilitate the needs of Super Bowl week – is an opportunity we will put to great use.”
Specifically, Pineda notes how the HCCL’s detailed program that shepherds Hispanic-owned businesses through the (often) intensive process of securing government or one-off ‘big event’ contracts played a role in several member businesses landing lucrative deals to provide services/support for the Super Bowl. For instance, Delta Personnel of Metairie was hired to staff a wide array of positions within the Morial Convention Center – the hub of league-sponsored fan experiences and the media’s home base – during game week, while Colemix Construction of New Orleans assembled many of the temporary staging areas seen around the CBD.
