“For me, I think of Centro as the hub for issues around the Latino community and a space that anybody can take as their own. |
KAREN MENÉNDEZ-COLLER,
CENTRO'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR |
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Latinx across the nation are suffering disproportionately from COVID-19. In Dane County, Latinx individuals have one of the lowest vaccination rates but the highest number of cases (DPS). Centro Hispano of Dane County (Centro) is at the forefront of the local response, working to alleviate the devastating effects of the pandemic on the Latinx community.
From vaccine awareness, to managing the LCA Emergency Relief Fund, to providing support to families with basic needs, housing and immigration, developing workforce skills in high demand sectors like healthcare, and working with youth navigating virtual learning, the team at Centro is working tirelessly to support, and provide a home, to the community. |
To protect our families, and to protect you, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our Annual Celebration Gala this year.
But we cannot afford to cancel the valuable support the gala has provided to our families, especially now, when they need it most. |
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I am an Immigrant, I am resilient, and I am Centro.
I came to Madison, Wisconsin more than 30 years ago with my Mom and siblings from Mexico. We did not have the necessary resources to live in this country. We arrived in the winter, and we didn't have a stable place to live. We felt isolated, and that we did not belong to this country. We knocked on several doors, many opened and others didn't. One of those doors was Centro. At Centro, they guided us and gave us the support we needed at this critical moment in our lives. And since then Centro has always been part of my life and the life of my family. It is Important that people understand that we all come from somewhere, we all belong to a community and we all need opportunities to become successful. We just need information on how to navigate the system in this country and solve our needs such as health, education, immigration, employment, etc. This time is historical -- COVID -19 pandemic, violence in the streets, racism, and intolerance. In addition to all these difficulties, we still have an even bigger problem, a mental pandemic which does not allow us to understand that yes, we belong, yes, we have opportunities for success, and yes, we are valuable to this country and to the world. I am an immigrant, I am resilient, and I am Centro By Lourdes Godinez |
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"This is the 30th annual gala event for us. So this is a big one” |
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The 2018 gala, Acción, is focused on celebrating the heroes, both sung and unsung, who have taken action for our community at this important time in our history. |
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Photos courtesy of Madison365, Hedi Lamarr Photography, and Marcus Miles Photography.
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