Wells Fargo Gives $20k to HABLA Program
David Ritchie, BA economics, ’81, believes in giving back, and so does Wells Fargo, where he serves as Executive Vice President of their commercial banking office in Irvine, Ca. It is that commitment that motivated Wells Fargo to donate a total of $125,000 to UC Irvine, with $20,000 going to HABLA – one of the School’s community outreach programs.
“We value these programs,” says Ritchie, “and will do what we need to assure they continue.”
HABLA – Home-based Activities Building Language Acquisition Program – was started in June of 2000 as a broad-spectrum Latino-focused educational outreach program with the purpose of increasing the school readiness of disadvantaged children aged two-to-four years, by uniting faculty and students at UCI with the Corbin Family and Community Center, Santa Ana Unified School System, Cambodian Families Resource Center, Americorp/VISTA, FACT and the national Parent Child Home Program (PCHP). To date, the results have shown a significant impact in terms of benefits in child and parent behavior and growth in expressive and receptive language. Parents who participate in HABLA grow in perceived competence and in the quality of attention that they give to their children. HABLA parents also realize their role as their children’s first and most important teachers.
“Wells Fargo’s Foundation is very focused on K-12 education,” says Ritchie. “A lot of these programs have been cut back from the state making corporate sponsorship that much more important.”
As an alumnus, particularly of the School of Social Sciences, Ritchie says it’s important to provide whatever support possible. “It’s great to be a graduate from UCI,” he says. “I am constantly amazed at what a resource the School is for people and hope everyone will be encouraged to get involved.”
Funding from Wells Fargo helped purchase educational books and toys; some funds helped HABLA prepare their own "HABLA Rimes" booklet in which familiar Spanish-language nursery rhymes and songs families used to promote language development through language play. The rest of Wells Fargo’s gift underwrote several other programs including science programs for high school kids.