Programs

El Centro coordinates numerous community programs which are generally hosted at 210 ‘O’ Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. Read about our Adelante, Domestic Violence, Health, Crisis Prevention & Assistance, and Golden Warriors programs through the drop down menu or the links below. For more information, please call (402) 474-3950

Current Programs

At El Centro de las Americas, we have two divisions of programming, being our Family Support Services division and our Educational Services division. A brief summary of each division and its sub-program is as follows:

Family Support Services Division
I. Crisis Assistance & Prevention Program  
  • Within this program, we assist clients by connecting them to resources in the community to address their family’s immediate needs; this would include connecting them with pantry services, clothing donations, utility and rent assistance, and assistance in applying for temporary aid such as Medicaid and SNAP programs. 
  • This program also assists clients with job applications and resume creation, as helping our clients become self-sufficient is a key goal for our agency. We aid them in searching for available positions, as well as assisting them in completing paper and online job applications, and in creating their resume when requested by an application.
  • Lastly, this program also provides clients with other miscellaneous services, such as translations at a reduced rate and low-income bus passes.


II. Health Education & Outreach
  • One of our core emphases within our health program is establishing medical homes for clients who are low-income and lack health insurance. We do this by connecting our clients with clinics and physicians who are willing to see these clients, regardless of their lack of health insurance, and also give them reduced rates for the medical service. Moreover, we encourage our clients to continue seeing the same clinic and doctor, thereby establishing a medical home, which research shows provides for a better, overall health experience and long-term effects for individuals and families. 
  • This program also connects clients to financial assistance for medical needs when clients cannot afford to pay for their medical services in their current circumstance. Some examples would include enrolling clients into Medicaid, while in other circumstances we help clients apply for financial hardship waivers directly with hospitals. 
  • The health care system itself can be confusing at times. Therefore, we also help clients navigate the health system by helping them find the appropriate clinic for their medical needs, helping them make appointments, and also aiding them in understanding their medical bills.
  • Lastly, our health outreach coordinator conducts educational health forums, health fairs, and free health screenings, in partnership with our clinic and health partners, so that low-income clients from the community can have access to these free health screenings and also have an opportunity to learn more about health issues and how to best live a healthy lifestyle.
III. Domestic Violence 
  • Our program provides one-on-one support and resource navigation for victims currently going through a domestic violence situation, to include dating violence, sexual abuse, stalking, and domestic abuse by a spouse or partner. Our program participants are guided through creating a safety plan for them and their family and are then connected to multiple resources in their local community, to include emergency shelter, protection orders, counseling, pantry services, support groups, and case management. 
  • El Centro also coordinates the only Spanish support group in Lincoln/Lancaster County every Tuesday for program participants where clients have a safe space to come talk about their current circumstance among peers that can relate to their situation and offer support. The group attendees are also presented with resources through guest speakers and community partners who also work with victims of domestic violence.

Educational Services Division
IV. Joven Noble Program 
  • Our Joven Noble (JNP) provides weekly group sessions for youth within the juvenile justice system and also for any “at-risk” youth that is at risk of entering the juvenile justice system. Within the program, the youth participate in culturally relevant social and leadership development sessions, share a meal together, and partake in sports activities together in order to teach them positive social activities that they can continue outside of the program. 
  • We lead three program classes throughout the fiscal year, one being for the fall semester, one for the spring semester, and one during the summer. Group sessions also consist of bringing in Latino role models within the community to come speak to the youth about their experiences and share tips on how to achieve similar successes in life. The field trips consist of trips to educational institutions (e.g. University of Nebraska at Lincoln), local companies that could provide employment opportunities (e.g. Duncan Aviation), and also unique activities like fencing. 
  • Lastly, this program monitors school attendance, grades, and behavior reports in order to ensure academic success. Interventions are implemented when any youth is struggling academically or is excessively truant, to include collaboration with school and other community partners in order to develop plans for success for each individual student involved in our program.

V. Adult Education 
  • This program provides GED classes in Spanish for adults within the community ages 17 and up. 
  • We also provide citizenship tutoring for any adults who want to pass the citizenship test and obtain their U.S. citizenship. 
  • Moreover, within this program we partner with Lincoln Literacy to provide English classes for nonEnglish speakers within the community in order to enhance their English proficiency which then enhances their employability and helps to acculturate them into their new community and home in the U.S. 
  • Lastly, for any adults needing computer proficiency assistance, we offer one-on-one tutoring to enhance computer skills.

For more information about El Centro, please contact our executive director Romeo Guerra​ at director@elcentrone.org or at 402-474-3950