Ignacio Salazar, SER National President and Chief Executive Officer, issued the following statement closing out 2022 with landmark accomplishments and the sights set on 2023.
“On behalf of SER National and the SER Network of Affiliates, we salute the more than 1 million program participants we have reached and served this year. They entered our doors in more than 200 locations across the country and Puerto Rico with high hopes and expectations to uplift and transform their lives. I proudly announce that we met their needs through our numerous training, education, and assistance services.
The reports show that our program graduates are more robust, better equipped, and eager to progress or return to our nation’s workforce to sustain themselves and their families. From the country’s eastern shores to the Pacific and La Isla del Encanto, we have witnessed the most incredible reward people can experience. Their dignity and self-confidence soared when they received their certificate, diploma, or license and the recognition they earned from family, friends, and employers. This experience was priceless.
Our work touched and changed lives from major urban centers to rural pueblos. These include a second-generation farmworker who became a commercial truck driver, a single mother of three children who started her salon and spa business, and a senior who went to work as a part-time security guard at a high-rise office building. His work ethic impressed tenants, among them the Walt Disney Company, and he was invited to join the family of Mickey and Minnie Mouse as a full-time employee! These are just three of the victories of SER participants. We see many more like these each day, too numerous to list all of them.
SER National and the SER Network of Affiliates will continue in 2023 to remain focused on the mission of service within America’s local communities. We pledge to keep venturing out into neighborhood centers, churches, and civic associations to share our passion for reaching the historically underserved. Count on us to be on watch with our one-on-one attentiveness and caring for every individual we meet. These principles have stood us apart for 58 years, and with God’s blessing, we will prevail with servant hearts even in the face of challenging times. May 2023 bring peace and prosperity to you, and may God continue to bless this great nation we call our home.”