El Grupo de Apoyo Latino

Jorge Zepeda, MSW, LCSW, MPH is the Director of Latine Health, where he oversees individual, group, and outreach community support programs for Latine community members. Jorge has more than 30 years of experience in HIV, social work, and designing and implementing programs and services for Latine communities. Jorge is an Xicane immigrant whose primary language is Spanish. He joined SFAF to work the HIV information Hotline in 1992, was hired as a case worker in 1997, and has worked to address structural and systemic barriers that Spanish-speaking and Latine communities face ever since.

Jorge was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico, and migrated to the United States in 1989. As a Spanish-speaking Latino immigrant, he found navigating systems of care and support to be confusing and difficult. After becoming proficient in English, Jorge began volunteering at several community-based organizations where he learned to advocate for himself and fellow Latine community members.

Jorge is passionate about uncovering structural inequities and pushing for social justice. He is aware that Latine communities are affected by many social forces, including institutional racism and structural oppression, that affect the most vulnerable minority groups including immigrants and Indigenous people. He dedicates his expertise to building a more just community.

Jorge dedicates additional efforts to reach out to the communities who usually do not engage with services, including those who are unhoused, people who use drugs, and people who are undocumented immigrants. When Jorge is not working in the field and visiting homeless shelters or encampments, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Jorge is also passionate about dancing Salsa, Tango, and fixing any machinery crossing his path including pocket watches.