Save the Date!

Latino waves Viva long beach!

A Message from Jessica Quintana

As executive director of Centro Cha, I have seen our

organization grow and prosper by changing the lives of

hundreds of Latinos in Long Beach.

Every year, we have countless success stories coming out of our various programs. In an

effort to highlight and keep you in the loop about all things

Centro Cha, we wanted to broaden our communication

efforts by introducing our first newsletter. We will be keeping you up to date about all of the exciting new ventures we are

involved in, along with features on Centro CHA’s many success

stories.

We have many inspiring stories to share with you!

Please make sure to stay connected. We look forward to

an exciting 2012!

Our Mission

Centro CHA exists with the mission to enrich the lives of low-income, underserved Latino youth, families and neighborhoods in the City of Long Beach through community advocacy, health and educational programs, social and economic enrichment, cultural arts, community �service, and after-school youth development programs. Through various programs and services, Centro CHA strives to develop future leaders, create and maintain healthy communities, and instill a sense of pride within the Latino community of Long Beach.

Fundraiser

Oct. 29

3rd Annual dia De Los Muertos Art Exhibit Fundraiser. $5 cover.

Open House

Dec. 8

Posada holiday mixer at our new offices, 1900 Atlantic Ave. $25

Cesar Chavez

March 31 Cesar E. Chavez Annual Cultural Festival, violence prevention resource fair & Scholarship Awards Cesar Chavez Park, 401 Golden Avenue.

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Our Programs Every Year, Centro Cha is actively

involved in improving the lives of the Latino community through outreach

programs offered year-round.

LEAP: Latino Empowerment Action Program

The Latino Empowerment Action Program aims at empowering young Latino men and women, ages 14-21, through leadership projects and community involvement, reproductive health education, alcohol and drug counseling, anger management, HIV/STD education and teen pregnancy prevention education, gang and violence prevention education.

For Latino youths, ages 14-24, who are in and out of school, LIFT provides career development, paid job training and internships, job training skills certification, mentoring, tutoring, workshops, and more.

LIFT: Latinos investing in their future today

Viva los Niños

Citizenship program

Centro cha assists during the naturalization process with naturalization N-400 citizenship application assistance, exam preparation and processing services. In helping hard working, tax-paying immigrant families achieve the American dream of economic self-sufficiency and upward mobility, and maintain individual liberty and basic human rights.

This program celebrates the early years of Latino children by offering low-income parents, teen parents and caregivers parent education workshops that focus on early literacy, positive discipline and nutrition, home and car safety. Viva los niños also provides links to human social services.

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Turning it Around: Sal Hernandez

CAL GRIP Program The California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention program funds anti-gang efforts in local communities to

“Everything I have achieved in my life, I owe to Centro CHA,” says 23-year-old Sal Hernandez on the life-changing relationships he formed through his involvement with Centro CHA. The Long Beach native has experienced a life of crossroads. Born to immigrant Mexican parents, early on Sal set a major goal in life: graduate high school. This goal didn’t come without obstacles. Sal lacked an at-home computer and Internet access, hindering his progress in academics. And around age 15, Sal began to steer off course and formed friendships with gang members. He describes this point in his life as, “a time of immaturity.” Through these troubled years, his parents never lost hope for their son, hoping he would get back on the right path. Change entered Sal’s life in the form of community service assigned to him after he was unable to pay a traffic ticket. Sal was assigned community service at Centro CHA. Within the programs Sal volunteered in, he found valuable support that opened his eyes to possibilities for his life. He was offered academic, financial and moral support within Centro CHA that propelled him to form and achieve personal aspirations. In Centro CHA, Sal saw a new beginning. Sal became proactive in the Centro CHA programs where he dedicated 120 hours of his time volunteering. In this, he eventually began an interest in law enforcement. Centro CHA offered Sal computer and Internet access, helped finance books, supplies, and equipment for numerous security certifications and one-on-one counseling. “It was the exposure and experience in different careers that allowed for me to see which was right for me,” Sal said. He credits Jessica Quintana and Lupe Velasco, who advised him to “Look at your future,” and, “Believe in yourself.” The encouragement Sal received proved to be vital for a struggling young man lacking a clear future for himself. Sal also began participating in the Cal GRIP program, an anti-gang initiative that offers job and education services to at-risk youths. His hard work paid off, and with the recommendation of Quintana, Sal landed his first position in his pursuing field, as a security officer for IPC International Corporation. Currently, he is a security officer at Pacific Hospital of Long Beach. Sal plans to continue to grow in law enforcement and become a police officer. Sal offers this advice to youths in situations similar to his: “Never give up. Don’t wait for success to come to you, work hard for it.”

reduce gang violence and administer preventative programs. Cal GRIP allows for more allocated resources for at-risk youth, crime victims, law enforcement and local communities to help fight gang violence. This is done by funding job training, and intervention programs, and provides tools for law enforcement to keep track of gang leaders in and out of prison.

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A year in Review

Dream Act Press Conference To increase awareness of the California Dream Act, local elected officials, Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition and Centro CHA hosted a press conference to gain support from the Governor in order to endorse the assembly bill to provide provisions for AB540 students. As a result, the Long Beach City Council passed a local resolution in favor of the Dream Act.

Cesar E. Chavez Festival Through collaboration with city officials and local organizations, Centro CHA organized the 8th annual Cesar E. Chavez festival at Cesar Chavez Park. This year we remembered the late state Senator Jenny Oropeza by renaming the Cesar Chavez Community Center in her honor.

Summer Night Lights 2011 Centro CHA, a champion in the area of violence prevention was commissioned as the coordinator of the Summer Night Lights project. The project provided community residents and families a safe haven at their local parks for recreation and activities.

improving the community In support of our families and youth, Centro CHA provides a continuum of assistance to prevent homelessness and enable individuals and families to move steadily toward independent living. The continuum of care model is based on the understanding that homelessness is not caused by simply lack of shelter, but involves a variety of underlying needs.

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Thank You To All Of our Supporters! Since 1992, Centro CHA has strived to create a record of service that advances, and advocates extensively for, the well being of underrepresented, low-income Hispanic children, youth and families in the City of Long Beach. A recognized leader at the local, county and state levels, Centro CHA is a committed grassroots, community-based nonprofit organization that continuously provides quality, necessary and compassionate services to under-served, impoverished Hispanic neighborhoods. We could not have gotten this far without all of the wonderful backing from all of our community supporters. We would like to thank all of them. We look forward to many more years of collaborative partnerships.

Join Us! Centro CHA wants you to help us make a difference in the community. We are now offering memberships for anyone who is interested. Please fill out the form inside of this newsletter or send us the postcard below with your information to receive our newsletter and stay up to date on all things Centro CHA. Thank you for your support!

Name: Address:

Centro CHA Inc. Center for Working Families 1900 Atlantic Ave., 2nd Floor

Long Beach, CA 90806

BECOME A MEMBER! FALL 2011