Human Services
Lending a Hand
In order to serve the most immediate needs of the community, Centro Guadalupano offers regular outreach programs on a walk-in basis. It is our belief that only with its most pressing needs met can a family focus on working to better their long-term situation. Our programs assist in meeting the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing for more than 300 individuals and families each month.
Working Together
Though Centro partners with other area organizations across all its programming, these collaborations are especially visible in our direct outreach efforts. They include: The St. Vincent De Paul Society; Bridging, Inc.; St. Mary's Health Clinics; and many local bakeries, vendors, and churches. These partnerships maximize accessibility, avoid duplication of services, and are cost-effective for all parties involved.
Click here for a more comprehensive list of our community partners!
Services Offered
Some of the specific direct outreach activities taking place at Centro are as follows:
· Weekly furniture referrals for residents of East Phillips, providing access to quality, lightly-used furniture for struggling families. These services most often benefit children who may not have adequate sleeping space. Home visits by staff are conducted to assess individual situations. More than 100 individuals and families each year benefit from this partnership.
· Monthly Food for the Village free bread pantry. This component offers fresh and culturally appropriate breads for residents on a walk-in basis, without limit to amount taken.
· Monthly free store, offering fresh food (including meat and produce) and quality used clothing, house wares, cleaning supplies, and toys. More than 100 clients typically attend.
· School supply program for community children every August. With backpacks and other school supplies (e.g. notebooks) provided by various churches in the Twin Cities area, more than 50 children can start the school year off with the supplies they need to be well-equipped in the classroom.
· Winter coat distribution. Partnering with area churches, Centro undertakes the important task of distributing quality free coats to clients. Distributing winter clothing is critical since many of the community residents are recently arrived from warmer climates and are spending their first winter in Minnesota. Gloves and hats are distributed on an ongoing basis, as well.
· Seasonal Holiday Outreach programs in November and December for client families. The Thanksgiving outreach provides more than 60 families with food and gift certificates to local grocers. The Christmas outreach program allows parents to “shop” for free new gifts for their children, with over 200 gifts distributed each year.
