Mission: The mission of El Centro, Inc., a for purpose organization, is “strengthening communities and improving lives of Latinos and others through educational, social, and economic opportunities.” While times have changed during the nearly 40 years we have been a part of this community, one thing has stayed constant- our commitment to the people of Wyandotte and Johnson Counties, particularly the growing Hispanic population. We strive to be the premier organization bridging Latinos and others, resulting in healthy, educated communities. Please take a moment to read our mission and history. It will show you where we’ve been and where we’re going…with your help. History: El Centro was established in 1976 with a $10,000 grant from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, along with the blessing of Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker, Father Ramon Gaitan, the commitment of the Cordi Marian Sisters, and a group of energetic and caring community members who saw a need for an organization to address the needs and concerns of Kansas City, Kansas’ Hispanic population. With that care and commitment, El Centro de Servicios para Hispanos was born. In the intervening years since our humble beginnings, we have grown from a single location to three locations in Kansas City, Kansas and Olathe, serving more than 10,400 individuals and families per year. Our programming has evolved from our first program for elders – the Senior Day Program – to include The Academy for Children – a dual-language Pre-K program, workshops on money-management and homeownership, health education and healthy living outreach through our Promotores de Salud (Health Promoters) volunteers, health navigation, domestic violence prevention and intervention, and our policy and advocacy efforts for issues of special interest to our community. While our Senior Day Program is no longer a part of what we do, we still embrace people no matter their stage in life to empower them for the future.