Vivian Moreno says she comes from at least three generations of poverty. But now – nearly single-handedly – she has shaped a life in which she is thriving, and then some.
Over the last three years, Moreno, a native of Puerto Rico, has managed to build her own interpreting business in Providence and launched a nonprofit that provides free tax-preparation services and other assistance to low-income families. She’s also a member of several other community groups, such as Making Connections Providence and the Family Life Center, which assists prisoners and their families with re-entry into society.
Now her story is being broadcast everywhere, in 60-second, national radio public service announcements for the United Way, which helps fund Moreno’s nonprofit tax work through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Moreno narrates both in English and Spanish. It’s part of the United Way’s Live United campaign designed to motivate people to give or volunteer.
PBN: When you started your own company, you had little money and little business know-how. Did you always have an entrepreneurial spirit?
MORENO: It was my mother’s fault. She used to sell candies [out of the family home], vanilla shakes and cakes – a lot of things that children used to go to my house to buy. She made a profit. Then she made [and sold] towels and bedspreads and things for the house. That’s how I got interested.
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PBN: When did you go into business for yourself?
MORENO: I started in 2006 when I got involved with the Resident Leadership Institute [part of the Making Connections Providence community program]. What Making Connections did was decide that language should not be a barrier. If we really want to help this community we needed to help the people even if they didn’t speak the language. So even if there was one person who didn’t speak English at the [Making Connections] meetings, they called me to do interpretation because I graduated from the leadership institute. It made sense to hire a resident in the community. Now I have other interpreters working for me.
MORENO: We do medical and legal interpreting, conference interpreting. When any of the organizations have workshops, we are there. We do interpreting for the school department. I have a contract with the city of Providence.
This agency is the best-paying agency in the area. Whatever I get, the interpreter gets 80 percent. And the company gets 20 percent.
PBN: Why not make it 50-50? You’d earn more money.
MORENO: I find 20 percent is a good amount. If I have the time, I do the interpreting myself. Maybe once a week, I call another interpreter. If I start paying the interpreter 50 percent, they’re going to show up late. They’re not going to do the job as well as they should, and it’s a lot of work. … What I’ve done lately is put money aside to buy people who have zero money a computer, fax machine, and I’m training people to use them for the administrative part of the business.
When I started, I thought I could start my own corporation and pay the interpreters better and get better results for the community. And at the same time, it would leave some income that would help me with the nonprofit, which is my passion.
PBN: Why is it so important to you?
MORENO: I was impacted when my brother went to jail, and I know the suffering the families go through when they have a loved one in prison. So for me, the re-entry part of my work [helping ex-convicts re-enter society from prison] is why I was put on this earth.
MORENO: Before, I was getting assistance for seven years in a row for the earned income tax credit. Every year when I filled out my taxes – I have three children – I got money back from the credit. I was working, self-employed, and still got money back. Many people don’t know that.
PBN: So part of your service is just educating families about paying taxes?
MORENO: There are people who I’ve asked if they filed their taxes, and they say no. If you’re self-employed you have to file your taxes, keep receipts from the odd jobs you do. They don’t realize that if they pay taxes, they can get money back. … In the long run, it helps them because if they want to buy a house, they don’t have proof they made any income even though they’re working hard.
PBN: How did you go from seeking tax assistance to giving assistance?
MORENO: I like doing taxes and the accounting stuff. Making Connections has 12 strategy areas that they want to work on. One of them is family economic success. … That’s the area I wanted to work on. Then there was talk that there would be grants from the United Way to have people learn how to do taxes. I always wanted to learn how to prepare taxes. I thought it would be a good way to begin an organization, to get enough money to have an office and serve people.
Making Connections, along with United Way and SPEC [the IRS program that stands for Stakeholder, Partnerships, Education and Communication] trained us on the tax law.
PBN: Why not do it for profit?
MORENO: Maybe in the long run I will go that route as far as filling out taxes for small businesses. But while there still is grant money, I want to do it for the community. •INTERVIEW
Vivian Moreno
POSITION: CEO of the Interpreters Network Inc. in Providence; director of the nonprofit Community Co-Op based in Providence; participant in the United Way’s volunteer tax services
BACKGROUND:
Launched Interpreters Network in 2006 after working as a freelance interpreter for several years. That same year, she formed the nonprofit Community Co-op, which provides free tax preparation services and other assistance to families in low-income and non-English-speaking neighborhoods.
EDUCATION: Associate’s degree in paralegal studies, 1994, Community College of Rhode Island; B.A. in paralegal studies, 1996, Roger Williams University
FIRST JOB: Provided child care at Progeso Latino in Central Falls at age 15
RESIDENCE: Providence
AGE: 40
