[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 168 (Friday, November 4, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2014]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN HONOR OF EL CENTRO DE SERVICIOS SOCIALES

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                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 4, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of El Centro de 
Servicios Sociales Para la Communidad Hispana, a non-profit group that 
serves the Greater Cleveland community.
  El Centro is a Hispanic-Latino non-profit advocacy organization whose 
mission is to enhance the socio-economic status of the greater Lorain 
County community by providing essential social, educational, cultural 
and community development services. Children in need are able to keep 
in contact with El Centro to individually seek solutions to their 
problems.
  With the influx of Hispanic-Latino industrial workers to the Lorain 
County community during the 1970s, the need for social, cultural and 
educational needs increased. In 1974, El Centro de Servicios Sociales 
Para la Communidad Hispana was formed in order to address these 
problems by helping monolingual Spanish speakers transition in an 
English speaking environment. El Centro also works to prevent, treat 
and rehabilitate community members with mental and physical health 
ailments. It also had a few clinics to specifically treat community 
members afflicted with high blood pressure and diabetes.
  Although El Centro began as a non-profit that helped only Latino 
members of the community, recently it has expanded its services to 
support all members of the community. Recent economic hardships in the 
State of Ohio have increased the need for community services and El 
Centro has met that need by serving about 2,000 people.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring El Centro de 
Servicios Sociales Para la Communidad Hispana.

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