Our Mission and History

Centro Latino, Inc. is a multi-service, community-based, human-services organization, which was founded in 1989 “to improve the quality of life and promote the self determination of Latinos and immigrants in Eastern Massachusetts”.  In 2009, Centro Latino merged with Concilio Hispano in Cambridge to create one of the largest Latino-directed social service agencies in Massachusetts.  Today, the agency serves over 8,000 people each year through its direct service education and health programs, as well as through outreach, information, referrals, and community events.  Centro Latino offers the broadest range of relevant, high quality classes and programs delivered in a patient and caring environment that helps Latinos and immigrants seeking to improve their lives to become confident and independent members of the community.

One of the primary assets of the agency is its bilingual/bicultural professional team of staff and volunteers that have close ties with the communities we serve. With offices in Cambridge and Chelsea, Centro Latino consists of a team of 23 full-time and 23 part-time staff members and 75 volunteers who carry out Centro’s programs and operations. Currently, 64% of the Board and staff is Latino, and 73% are bilingual in English and Spanish.  This is particularly significant in helping the organization to deliver services that are culturally competent, more accessible, and relevant to the communities that it serves.

The impact of Centro Latino’s work is far-reaching and continues to grow. Here are some of the ways that our community has specifically benefitted during this past year:

• 186 individuals made significant improvement in their English language skills, as measured by a nationally recognized assessment tool.
  
• 457 individuals learned how to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS. 357 individuals got tested for HIV and now know their status. 
  
• 97 HIV+ individuals gained knowledge about community resources and how to access and navigate their health care options as well as provided peer support to each other about ways to improve their quality of life.
  
• 38 pregnant/parenting teens made progress towards an educational credential; 16 of them found employment.
  
• 155 individuals improved their English language skills and can better communicate in their workplace.
  
• 272 individuals increased their computer technology skills.
  
• 331 individuals received counseling and support around substance abuse issues, including 229 inmates at the Middlesex Jail in Cambridge.
  
• 334 individuals received immigration counseling and support. Of these, 55 became naturalized U.S. citizens, and 41 refugees from Iran, Iraq, Cuba, and Somalia gained legal permanent residency status.