Founder and Executive Director of United Community Center of Westchester (UCCW) in New Rochelle, Jackie helps to provide critical resources that bring legal and immigration assistance, health care, education, food refuge, and emergency assistance to those in need. She has strived to give a voice to the Westchester County community to assure that basic human necessities are provided for its most vulnerable clients. Through human service programs, Jackie and UCCW help more than 6,000 people per year. Since its founding in 2005, the organization has supported and empowered at-risk youth, the disabled, the elderly, and the homeless. As a domestic violence survivor, she continues social activism in support of rights for immigrant families, and battered women, the fight for legislation to give immigrant workers the right to collect their unpaid wages, to organize and to bargain for better wages and working conditions.

Jackie has propelled the UCCW by obtaining recognition and accreditation from many locals and state government agencies. Through her dedication, UCCW has assisted; over half of a million individuals and families, and has obtained the trust and respect of non-profit organizations and government agencies that are working in collaboration with UCCW because they share the same belief that “working together we can make a difference”

Before she started UCCW, Jackie was a consultant for the Westchester Department of Health, there she served clients as a facilitator helping people to enroll in free or affordable health insurance. While in the DOH she took multiple pieces of training to better assist and comprehend clients with mental health and social service issues. During her career, she has held numerous volunteer and civic leadership positions. Her work and focus are on the issues of social impact, philanthropy, and immigration laws-but more importantly, the client’s satisfaction and empowerment have been a testament to her desire to better the community.

Born in the Dominican Republic, Jackie migrated to Westchester County in 1984 to live permanently with her parents. Like most immigrants, she overcame many barriers that obstruct integration and self-empowerment. At a young age, she began supporting humanitarian causes, volunteering, and working in organizations where the need to help others was always a daily demand.