Centro de Información celebrates 40 years
Elginite Jose Antonio Urbieta has stopped in for services at Centro de Información a handful of times over the years. Most recently he went to the Elgin nonprofit to find out what paperwork he needed for his wife to emigrate from Mexico.
Urbieta moved to the United States 22 years ago and speaks some English, but isn’t entirely fluent. He said he has brought in tax documents or official paperwork he wants to be sure he understands for the staff to help with.
“They are in English so you feel better coming in and asking questions,” Urbieta said.
Centro de Información, literally Information Center, is celebrating its 40th anniversary Wednesday, looking back on decades helping Spanish-speaking immigrants with questions like Urbieta’s, operating an emergency food pantry, hosting English classes and offering workshops and trainings.
Centro is the only Latino service agency in a 25-mile radius, said Jaime García, co-founder and executive director of the organization.
García said in the beginning it was an all-volunteer operation open just one day a week with no budget.
Now Centro is a registered nonprofit with a paid staff of 18 and satellite offices in Carpentersville and Hanover Park. The organization serves more than 15,000 individuals each year and its services are more critical than ever with increasing Latino populations in the region, Garcia said.
García said the most important contribution Centro makes to the community is education — but not necessarily book smarts.
“Education as far as the way of life here in this country,” García said. “You’re going to be living here, you need to know the rules of the road. We have that.”
Centro offers classes on parenting, financial literacy, health and child development. There are workshops and seminars on housing with themes like foreclosure and renters rights, weekly job fairs and regular immigration workshops.
Leila Gómez is the only full-time employee at the Hanover Park office, which opened in 1995. Gómez helps drop-in clients throughout the day and also runs an after-school homework program with Ontarioville Elementary students.
Much of Centro’s focus is as a referral agency, helping immigrants navigate other U.S. Institutions.
“We’re like the point initiating connections to other agencies that can help,” Gómez said. “To guide them and help make them part of the community.”
Centro will host an Anniversary Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at its main office, 28 N. Grove Ave., Suite 200, Elgin. Visit centrodeinformacion.org for more.