Community Spotlight: Centro Hispano de Frederick
Welcome to the latest blog post in our Community Spotlight series, where we highlight the remarkable individuals and organizations that make Frederick a great place to live and work.
One of the organizations at the heart of our community is Centro Hispano de Frederick, which has been supporting immigrants for nearly two decades. From language classes to youth programs, Centro Hispano helps individuals and families overcome challenges and thrive.
We spoke with Executive Director Suzanne M. Salichs, about how the organization came to be, the unique obstacles faced by those with limited English proficiency, and the exciting programs that are transforming lives across generations.
What do you think makes Frederick a great place to live?
Frederick is an amazing city filled with history, culture, and has such a welcoming vibe to it. There is so much to do and see in Frederick. I think it is the people that make Frederick such a wonderful place to live, work, and visit. As a new resident of Frederick, I appreciate great city and county services and programs, the green space, a variety of community activities, and a wonderful quality of life. There is something for everyone in Frederick! And, if you ever want to venture out to Baltimore, Washington, DC, or many nearby towns, they are close and offer other fun venues.
Can you tell us a bit about your history and how Centro Hispano de Frederick came to be?
For almost 20 years, Centro Hispano de Frederick has offered support services to immigrants ranging from English and citizenship classes to seniors’ groups, women’s empowerment classes, health fairs, employment fairs, and K-12 academic programs. We also offer a variety of front office services, information and referrals, case management, and emotional support services for adults and children. Our goal is to equip the immigrant community to be thriving, contributing members of Frederick County.
We began as a grassroots organization founded by several Hispanic immigrants including Ms. Maria Shuck, who selflessly served as executive director for over 15 years. In that time, we have grown from a small group of dedicated volunteers providing ad hoc services with virtually no budget to a sustainable organization with year-round programs in house, a STEAM academic program for students in the summer and in the schools during the academic year, and an annual Hispanic Heritage Festival on Carroll Creek.
What challenges do community members with limited English proficiency (LEP) face that native English speakers might not fully understand or be aware of?
Newcomers often face many challenges, including language barriers when English is not their first language. Limited English proficiency (LEP) can make it hard to seek meaningful employment and oftentimes limit the types of positions that they are able to obtain.
Because of economics, culture, and life experience, our neighbors from other countries often find it difficult to become fully participating members of our community. This could mean anything from inability to find a job because of language barriers to dealing with social isolation, connecting with medical services, and overcoming obstacles to academic success in the public schools.
Other challenges newcomers may face include finding affordable and safe housing; adapting to cultural differences and ways of living; raising children; and navigating the educational, legal, social, and health service systems. In addition, many of the children and families who visit the center have experienced or are experiencing migratory trauma which can occur before, during, or after migrating. Centro Hispano de Frederick is here to help. We provide a variety of free services including emotional support, information and referrals to services, and case management.
Congratulations on the $260,000 grant from the State of Maryland! Can you talk about how this program helps students with their schoolwork and emotional well-being? What exciting changes or improvements are on the horizon with the new funding?
Yes, we were excited to receive the State of Maryland Consortium Grant! This grant provides us with the means to expand Éxito STEAM Program to four area elementary schools – Butterfly Ridge, Hilcrest, Lincoln, and Waverly – and provide important STEAM curriculum and activities to even younger students. Our Éxito STEAM Program curriculum also includes social emotional and leadership components. Further, an important part of this program is the parental engagement and providing educational sessions focused on health and wellness to the parents, families, and other household members. We are so grateful to the State of Maryland for supporting the Éxito STEAM Program!
The Golden Years program sounds wonderful for seniors. How has it made a difference for the participants, and are there any activities or events that have been especially popular or impactful?
The Años Dorados (Golden Years) Program is amazing. It has made a huge difference in the lives of seniors. We have collected data from program participants that clearly shows the importance of the program and especially the impact that socialization has on senior citizens. We provide stimulating, educational, and fun activities as part of the program. The seniors love the interaction with their peers, our staff, and guest speakers. Some of the most popular events include arts and crafts, dance, and of course field trips. Just this past weekend, our Años Dorados participants participated in the Urbana Latino Celebration wearing their native attire and dancing as part of the program.
In addition, United Way of Frederick County recently donated computers to eligible program participants. The Años Dorados participants are now learning how to use these computers with a University of Maryland instructor.
Why is it important for Centro Hispano to address the needs of different age groups and can you share a memorable story about how your programs have impacted people’s lives across generations?
Our programs serve the full spectrum of ages. From mothers and fathers with children, to the Éxito STEAM Program at four area elementary schools, to individuals of all ages through English, citizenship, and sewing classes, to women as part of the Entre Mujeres (Amongst Women) Support Group, to senior citizens in Años Dorados. We often have individuals in the household participate as part of different programs. For example, a grandmother may participate in Años Dorados, while her daughter is part of Entre Mujeres, and her son may be part of the Éxito STEAM Program. That is three generations of one family engaged in multiple programming at Centro Hispano de Frederick. We also have students that attended Éxito and have returned to be classroom helpers and assistant teachers in the classroom. Those young people are pursuing studies and careers in a STEAM-related subject and are now teaching and mentoring younger students.
Volunteers are an important part of our organization and we appreciate their time and talents. We are able to offer so many classes due to the dedication of our volunteers. Just recently, I had a young adult contact me about becoming an English teacher. He shared with me how he attended many classes with his mother, who was an English teacher over ten years ago.
In addition to your core programs, you also offer services like legal counseling and translation. How do these services fit into the bigger picture of what Centro Hispano offers?
As part of the variety of front office services that we offer, we also provide legal consultations, translations, and notarization services. Everything we do and all services that we provide are established to help individuals grow and become thriving members of our community. This past month alone, over 500 individuals have visited the center. Through surveys and feedback, we are evaluating which additional services we may be offering in the near future.
Looking into the future, what are some of Centro Hispano’s big goals, and how can the community help you achieve them? Are there any specific areas where additional support would make a big impact?
We are expanding economic development services including workforce services, career readiness, and clear pathways to STEAM and Green training, education, and employment.
We are also undertaking more outreach with our area businesses to share our services, garner a better understanding of what needs they may have, and connecting them to other public services including emergency, social, business, and other types of services. We are able to do this by partnering with public and private organizations.
Bonus: Centro Hispano does so many amazing things. Is there a particular aspect of your work or a lesser-known program you’d like people to know about?
I will agree that Centro Hispano de Frederick does so many amazing things. We are truly a volunteer focused organization with a team of six full time and two part time staff members. We have dedicated volunteers, talented staff, engaged board members, and a lot of community support. This winning combination helps our community to access vital services and thrive.
Unfortunately, we are seeing an increase in women and children that have experienced trauma, specifically migratory trauma. In an effort to assist them we have added emotional support services to our center. We will soon be facilitating a Trauma Support Group to provide these women and children with the support and resources they desperately need.
We are so grateful to Centro Hispano de Frederick for taking the time to speak with us.
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