CENTRAL AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER CARECEN OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
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Mission Statement
CARECEN SF empowers and responds to the needs, rights and aspirations of Latino, immigrant and under-resourced families in the San Francisco Bay Area — building leadership to pursue self-determination and justice. Rooted in its cultural strengths and inspired by the Central American justice struggles, our diverse immigrant community thrives: Latino families prosper, build effective community institutions, and participate confidently in civic life.
About This Cause
OUR ROOTS & HISTORY Rooted in its cultural strengths and born of the Central American justice struggles, CARECEN SF envisions our diverse immigrant community as thriving: where families prosper, build effective community institutions, and participate confidently in civic life. Community Power Is Our Strength! CARECEN SF’s founders were active in the resistance movement that arose in El Salvador in the 1970s to fight against the grave political and economic injustices that characterized the country. They were ultimately forced to flee El Salvador during the civil war and established CARECEN in San Francisco in 1986 to address the needs of Salvadorans and other Central Americans who fled the region amid civil war, political repression, and counter-insurgencies of the 1980s. One of our founders, Ricardo Calderon, is still working with us as one of our senior paralegals. Establishing the organization was no easy task. With little or no resources Ricardo and his colleagues persevered in breaking through great obstacles and establishing an organization that would prove to be critical for Central Americans and other Latinos in the SF Bay Area. Other Salvadoran exiles established CARECEN offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Houston, and New York City. Because recently-arrived immigrants required low-cost legal services to help them establish residency or obtain work permits, CARECEN SF originally focused on providing immigration legal services and advocacy. As CARECEN SF and our community became more established, our clientele requested additional types of services, with a focus on health and wellness and family support. Because we (the staff) are part of the community we serve, our path has always closely followed the needs of Central American and other Latin American immigrants. Throughout our history, we have always addressed social justice and fairness issues through a combination of direct services and advocacy. CARECEN SF’s founders worked with and were inspired by Monsignor Oscar Romero, archbishop of San Salvador. We are thankful for the trust of the more than 6,000 individuals who annually walk through our doors seeking our programs. We are blessed with 32+ years of existence and are touched by the lives of more than 175,000 individuals and their families, who today are active contributors to the positive social, economic and cultural fabric of this city, state, and nation. IMMIGRATION LEGAL PROGRAM Our expert attorneys and paralegal team are committed to providing high quality, low-cost and pro-bono immigration legal services to low-income Latino immigrants and their families. By helping to adjust immigration status for all who are eligible, our work positively impacts the community we serve, increasing economic self-sufficiency and leveling the field for a successful and healthy integration into this country. Our goal is to empower the immigrant community to counter xenophobic attacks and discrimination through education about local, state, and federal laws designed to protect individuals and families regardless of their immigration status. We advocate and work to protect and expand the rights of ALL immigrants! SECOND CHANCE YOUTH PROGRAM & TATTOO REMOVAL CLINIC Second Chance is committed to empowering youth with the self-awareness, skills and resources necessary to transition from in-risk behaviors, violence involvement and other barriers, encouraging them towards safe and healthy lifestyles. We work with young people to set and achieve personal goals, where they create spaces to develop positive peer relations, leadership skills and become active agents of positive change in their lives and communities. We believe in the power and resilience of young people. By investing in them today, we secure our tomorrow and the future of generations to come! Second Chance offers comprehensive services and enrichment activities to youth ages 13-25 years of age. FAMILY WELLNESS PROGRAM CARECEN SF is committed to building individual and community resilience by increasing access to needed social services, fostering self-sufficiency and social integration. CARECEN SF’s Family Wellness Program connects low-income, immigrant and recently arrived children and families to vital services and local resources. We respond to the needs of families facing multiple barriers or in crisis as a result of migratory status, poverty, social isolation, violence, and other social and health disparities. The program emphasizes participant-centered, strength-based, and culturally affirming approaches to support the families we partner with. HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM All of our community health promotion activities are based on a popular education model that combines science with the cultural assets of the families we partner with. Promotoras de Salud/ Health Promoters facilitate peer-to-peer and hands-on learning in a linguistically accessible, fun and welcoming environment. Through weekly interactive, culturally informed and family centered activities, participants gain knowledge and practical tools to increase healthy eating and active living, all while having fun! By engaging in community building and peer-to-peer dialogue, we share ideas and activities aimed at preventing and managing chronic diseases that disproportionally affect our communities, including diabetes, obesity and early childhood cavities.