Client Care Specialist Oliva Castro

The Rocket Community Fund^SM is dedicated to supporting thriving and resilient communities through our strategic investments, and our mission wouldn’t be possible without the passion and commitment of our team members.

While all of our team members are committed to making a difference in our community, there are some team members who go above and beyond to impact the lives of others.

Oliva Castro works out of our Phoenix, Arizona office in Client Experience, and has been with the Rocket Companies^® for 8 years. As a Credit Underwriter on the Spanish Refi team, she helps make our Spanish-speaking clients’ dreams of homeownership come true.

“I love giving back to the community because I simply enjoy helping people. When you realize that each of us has the potential to make an impact on even just one person, simply by giving your time … it really puts things into perspective,” Oliva said.

Oliva’s passion is being the “voice” for those who can’t advocate for themselves, including children, animals and the planet. One of the reasons Oliva says she loves volunteering is because it reminds her to be grateful for what’s important and that not everyone is so lucky.

For the past 3 years, Oliva has served on the board of the Arizona St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Walk Committee. She has also served as a Wish Granter and volunteer with Make-A-Wish of Arizona for the past 11 years. Her love of nature led her to volunteer and support the Surfrider Foundation Southern California chapters, the Dana Point Festival of Whales Organization, the Ocean Conservancy and the Pacific Whale Foundation.

Many of Oliva’s friends and family have been affected by various health issues, so throughout the years, she has made it her mission to get involved with nonprofits that support healing and medical research. She has been involved with organizations like ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer and Hilarity For Charity, which brings awareness to Alzheimer’s research. During our Rocket Companies Community Challenge, Oliva was able to fundraise and advocate for two nonprofits she feels especially passionate about: Southwest Human Development and Free Arts for Abused Kids of Arizona.

“The name of this organization says it all,” Oliva said about Free Art for Abused Kids. “To be able to give these children the opportunity to have some fun and escape from the trauma they’ve experienced – even if it’s just for a little while – that’s a powerful way to help support their healing.”

 “I would say I especially love opportunities where we can see instant results,” Oliva said. “For example, seeing the smiles and joy when we grant a wish for kids through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, or experiencing the excitement from the team and participants when we reach goals for our walks with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer.”

Oliva lists a prepandemic volunteer experience with Habitat for Humanity as one of her most impactful, as her team got to build part of a house for a Habitat for Humanity Family.

Rocket Companies^® team members are encouraged to participate in group volunteering, which is a meaningful way to bond with teammates while also making a positive impact on the community. There are even a variety of virtual group volunteer opportunities so teams can continue to share this experience while working remotely.

“I love team events because it’s wonderful to share meaningful impact experiences with my teammates,” Oliva said. “When we volunteer together, the excitement is contagious. We get to have fun and be together all for great causes. That just warms my heart and is such a beautiful thing to experience.”

Engaging with our communities through volunteering and fundraising is an integral part of our culture at Rocket Companies®. It’s part of our For More Than Profit^SM approach: the belief that our success is intrinsically linked to our community’s success and that we have a responsibility to reinvest in the communities we call home. It’s also why we offer team members unlimited volunteer hours through company-sponsored events.

“I’ve heard other people outside Rocket Companies^® say that they don’t have time to volunteer,” Oliva said. “The great thing about our organization is that they give us the time to do it, and they encourage us to get out there in the community to make an impact.”

In 2020, Rocket Companies^® team members donated a record-breaking $1 million to nonprofit organizations, illustrating how far our team members are willing to go to support their communities in times of crisis. Since 2010, our team members have volunteered 385,000 hours in Detroit and 723,000 hours nationwide.

Oliva emphatically agrees with this sentiment. “When we help and support the community and each other, it’s just so much easier to get that love and support back. Together, we can do anything!”