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“We’re not going to give up. We’re going to get there,” he said.
Roughly 500 guests dressed in elegant gala-fitted ensembles were
treated to a Latino three-course meal, and danced to the rthymns
of the Sabor Latino band. There was also a silent
auction.
Leandry praised the efforts of his staff and the community for
the successes of the social service agency despite the recent
ailing economy.
“When I think about the last year, I don’t want to talk about
the poor economy,” Leandry said “I want to talk about how we
dealt with it and how we continued providing all of the services
for all those in need,” he said.
El Centro de Servicios Sociales
is a non-profit agency that was founded with the goal of helping
the often impoverished and non-English-speaking Latinos.
The agency assists the Latino and non-Latino communities with a
youth program which includes: tutoring, adult support services
which include translation, money management services for
individuals with mental or physical illness, an employment
program, a family violence prevention program, and support
services for seniors under its El Dorado Senior Center.
Leandry said El Centro helped roughly 2,000 families last year,
and among those families, 80 percent do not speak English.
“Many people ask us that all the time. If we still need
translation services,” Leandry said “We’re getting new people
that are moving here that do not speak English. Some of the
seniors have been here for generations and they may talk some
English but they don’t feel comfortable going to a doctor’s
appointment. Our staff goes with them and translate for them.
There is still a need. There is always a need,” he said.
Many guests said they came to support the advocacy agency
because they believe in its mission and that it still continues
to help many families in need.
William Torres,
a maintenance employee at Lorain County Community College,
said he would support El Centro “anyway that I can.” Torres, who
has worked with another social service agency in Youngstown
where he led AIDS prevention workshops, said he believes in the
need for such agencies.
“I have seen the help that (El Centro) gives to the Hispanic
community, with giving them food, clothing, helping them with
their bills, translations and after-school tutoring,” he said,
“They are very important. If it wasn’t for El Centro, a lot of
the lower income families would not have anything.”
The $1.5 million Pearl Avenue Building Renovation Project
El Centro entered a building exchange agreement with the city of
Lorain last year, where the plan is to move the agency from its
current 31st street location to a bigger facility
that will triple its size on the corner of 28th and
Pearl Avenue. But additional funding is still needed for the
renovation.
El Centro has raised $402,000, Leandry said. Plus, they expect
to receive roughly $600,000 in federal funds after U.S. Sen.
Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has pushed for roughly a $2.6 million
bill to support special projects in Ohio. Although the bill has
not yet been signed, Leandry said he is optimistic his agency
will be receiving the federal funds after recently getting a
call from the Sen. Brown’s office. Leandry said he is unaware
exactly how much his agency will ultimately receive, and he will
know by December.
“We know we’re getting an amount (in federal money) to start
this project,” Leandry said. “Yes, we’re moving. It’s going to
take a while. We’re crossing our fingers the (federal) bill will
be signed. But we need our community to support our goal.
“There is a project in your backyard that you can support. We
ask that this Christmas when you’re considering what to support
that you will consider us,” he said, as the crowd broke out in
applause and cheers.
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