Hispanic Heritage Month – Ana Serrano
Can you tell us a littl about your non-profit and what you do?
God’s Heart Ministry/Las Valientes helps women leave their abusive relationships through the legal system. We also help the community in general with legal issues. We provide services such as document preparation for Restraining Orders, both civil and domestic violence. As well as Family law and Guardianship paperwork. We also provide court-ordered supervised visits, parenting classes, translations & interpretation services. We take women and clients by the hand and help them understand the legal system here in the U.S., and especially here in North County San Diego.
What inspired you to start your non-profit?
In 2000, I was fired from another nonprofit whose doors have closed. My job was to help abused women obtain restraining orders and, in 6-8 easy follow-up visits, get them to leave their abusive partners. When I got fired, being a woman of faith, I asked God what I should do next. God then told me to start my own nonprofit, so I did. God gave me the corporate name of God’s Heart Ministry, and a nun gave us the name of Las Valientes. God brought the people around me who could help me. I got incorporated first, then got my 501©3. Here I am, 24 years later. I had no idea God was going to use my own story of abuse to help other women. But the ministry was born from my own experience as an abused woman and knowing the difficulty of leaving. Now I get to help abused women leave their abusive relationships and show them how they, too, can be free from the bondage of domestic violence.
What does being a Latino non-profit mean to you?
It means I am one of 375 Latina-owned nonprofits in California as of 2024. It means I am a trailblazer for other Latinas thinking of starting their own nonprofit. It means I leave a legacy of hard work, determination, and helping our community with the issues they face.
How does your culture influence your non-profit?
My culture influences everything in my nonprofit, from the clients we serve to the services we provide. Having grown up in both the Latin and American cultures, I use the American culture to help our clients with their many needs. Because I am also a Latina, I understand the issues and fears they face. From immigration to divorce, from fear of being deported to helping them obtain their legal status. I understand my culture, having come to the U.S. when I was 2 ½ from Mexico, to growing up in the U.S. in two different cultures, and in a mixed family of those with and without legal documents. My Latin culture influences all I do, as an example to my community of what is possible to achieve in the U.S. The clients my nonprofit serves are not only our clients, but our family, our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. They are my family.
How has the Vista community supported your non-profit?
The Vista community has embraced me with open arms. To some, I am Doña Ana; some call me Dra. Serrano, and still others simply call me Anita. The community refers their family and friends to the nonprofit, and follows us on social media. Not only has the community embraced us, but we have made connections with the Vista Sheriff’s, Mayor Franklin, Katie Melendez, and Corinna Contreras; their support means a lot to me. But I have also had the support of the Vista Chamber, David Zumaya, and other businesses in Vista, as well as Service organizations such as the Women’s Club of Vista and the Soroptimist Club. I am so very thankful for all the support I have received from everyone in the Vista Community.
What do you hope your business contributes to our community?
For the past 24 years, God’s Heart Ministry has been contributing to the well-being of the Vista Community. From providing document preparation to Vista residents, to accompanying abused women to court, to helping clients understand the legal system, Vista Residents have obtained the information they needed to help resolve their legal issues. My staff and I hope to continue helping the residents of Vista live a violence-free life and be educated about their legal rights.
Why is it important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?
For me, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is more than a huge party. It is teaching our youngsters about their Latin roots and where their parents and grandparents came from. It is a celebration of culture and Latin roots that bind the community together. But more than that, it is a celebration of the struggle and sacrifice of our ancestors to give us the life we now have. As a proud Latina, I am thankful for the opportunity to learn about my ancestors who fought for our freedoms and rights in the U.S.
What message would you line to share with the next generation of Latino entrepreneurs?
Never give up, you come from a proud line of warriors, of survivors, of those who came before us. Many of us come from indigenous blood, from generations of business owners, and those who never gave up despite the difficulty of starting a business during difficult times. Never forget you are strong and able, you got this.
Learn more about God's Heart Ministry/Las Valientes and Ana Serrano at lasvalientes.org.