In addition to its internal staff, Centro has established strong collaboration with different sectors in the community, including: Bay View Medical Center’s Care-A-Van that provides primary health care to uninsured residents three half-days per week at Centro; Baltimore City College that provides English as a Second Language and Basic Computer Literacy classes; Baltimore City schools, in facilitating the synchronization of Hispanic parents with the schools with high number of Latino children; HERO, Inc. that conducts HIV/AIDS Prevention workshops for adolescents and their parents; Homeownership Workshops and training of fifty Latino women in home-based childcare and assistance in obtaining state licensure; and the American Red Cross Central Maryland that coordinates First Aid, CPR, and AED training to Latinos in Baltimore City.

 
Although the U.S. Census 2000 indicates that approximately 12,000 Hispanics live in the Baltimore greater metropolitan area, Latino leaders conservatively place the number closer to 35,000.  The population continues to grow rapidly. In the past ten years alone, the number of Latinos in Maryland has increased by a factor of two-hundred percent.   Moreover, the problems associated with exponential growth without proper services are compounded by the risks engendered by socioeconomic distress and an education defect. Since its founding, Centro has seen and reported the results of economic stressors in the form of increases in the areas of domestic violence, alcoholism, drug abuse, and incidence of HIV.  These unfortunate consequences have had a detrimental impact on both individual households and the Hispanic community as a whole.

In the year 2000, Centro served more than 600 families. By 2006, this number had almost tripled to 1,600 families per year. The graph demonstrates the number of clients which Centro has proposed to serve and actually served since it built its own reliable database in 2002. For every year, the organization has far exceeded expectations in its community outreach. In total, we have served more than 6400 families or 9000 individuals.All families that enter our doors receive support and guidance as they attempt to acclimate to the United States while maintaining their cultures heritage and traditions. In response to the numerous needs, the case workers individually counsel clients and then offer culturally appropriate referrals.

Through this work, Centro promotes the continued successful participation of the Hispanic community in the social, economic, and political life of the greater Baltimore Metropolitan region and

(a) Serves as an accessible, bilingual gateway into mainstream programs and activities

(b) Delivers culturally sensitive services targeted to meet the needs of the Hispanic community

(c) Refers clients to established entities, agencies and programs serving the Hispanic community

 Recent Hispanic immigrants are young. With an average age of 27, the majority are at the height of their reproductive years.   As a result, the immigrant population will continue to grow through both though procreation and arrival of new immigrants. 

                                                                                                                                                    

Centro is committed to serving this population, which is hopeful, believes in the “American dream,” has a strong work ethic and family values.  Although they have much to offer our society, they often find innumerable barriers due to language, ignorance, prejudice, and agencies unprepared to provide services.

It is also a diverse community.  By 2006, 62 % of families served at Centro stated their country of origin as Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras, but the other 38% represent other countries from Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The graph to the left reflects the daunting diversity of the Spanish-speaking community in Baltimore City, and the need for a culturally competent staff to address the unique background of each group.

Centro is a community based organization that will continue to serve families of low to moderate income regardless of country of origin   or ethnicity.