WHO WE ARE

In 1973 some interested members of the White Plains community decided to establish a charitable organization dedicated to offering as many social services as possible to the growing Hispanic population of White Plains.  Born out of a compassionate response to a very real need, El Centro Hispano was established in January 1974, under the auspices of the Community Action Program located at the Chapel Hall at St. Bernard’s Church.  El Centro Hispano remained part of the Community Action Program until December 26, 2000, when it became a separate entity with its own Board of Directors.

The mission of El Centro Hispano, Inc., is to strengthen Hispanic families by providing them with information about health, housing, employment, and immigration matters and to assist with translations.  El Centro Hispano also provides these families with outreach, counseling, education, and advocacy programs to help them become self-sufficient.  A great variety of bilingual and cross-cultural programs are held to help the growing Hispanic community assimilate their new language and culture, at the same time that they maintain and enrich their own.

At the present time there are five staff members working part time at El Centro Hispano and four adjunct employees serving as coordinators and tutors for the various programs.

Each one of the employees is in charge of one or more of the many programs offered by the Centro.  Even though it is very difficult to run such an organization with so few employees, the Center is open from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Our special thanks to:

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Arnow,
City of White Plains,
David and Katherine Moore Foundation
JP Morgan Chase Foundation
Junior League of Scarsdale
Hispanic Federation
Hispanic in Philanthropy,
Hitchcock Presbyterian Church,
Lanza Family Foundation,
MBIA Foundation, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Pollack,
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Pollack
Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Pollack
New York State Legislators
Pace Women’s Justice Program,
Ronald McDonald House Charities
The Saiz Family
Scarsdale United Way,
St. Bernard’s Church,
Westchester Community Foundation,
Westchester County Board of Legislators
Westchester County Youth Bureau,
Westchester Hispanic Advisory Board,
White Plains Hispanic Day Parade
White Plains School System,
YMCA,
and all other private and corporate donors for their continued cooperation and assistance this past year, and to all those wonderful volunteers who have done so much to help us accomplish our goals and objectives.

ROBIN BIKKAL
President,  Board of Directors

LARRY DELGADO
Vice President, Board of Directors

ISABEL ELSA VILLAR
Founding Executive Director