CARECEN's Kids Camp, a quarterly program for fifth graders in partnership with Hoover Street Elementary School. Youth collaborate on "Building Your Neighborhood," with visiting Architect, Megan McChesney, and create designs for CARECEN's Community Center.

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 1998
In late April, CARECEN moves into its 30,000-square foot building at 2845 W. 7th Street bought with donations from the ARCO Foundation and continues the process of creating the largest Central American Community Center in the nation. CARECEN staff, community and CARDE Ten architecture firm collaborate to design the CARECEN Community Center.
      Over a three day period in September, CARECEN legal department helps over 200 Central Americans file for relief from deportation pursuant to NACARA and assists more than 2,000 people during informational "charlas."
      CARECEN and the Mexican American Bar Association join to establish a pro bono program for NACARA applicants and begin to help 200 low-income families gain permanent residency.
      Proposition 227 is placed on the ballot in the June primary elections and passes. Although Prop. 227 passes, the Latino community votes against it and continues to lobby for quality education for all children in California. Anti-immigrant discrimination continues to rise.
      Following the revised mission and in lieu of Prop. 227, CARECEN begins to restructure its youth and family education programs to keep pace with the growing needs of the Pico-Union community. Education programs are restructured to aspire toward a long-term plan for the technology, education and leadership needs of first and second generation Central American/Latino immigrants.
      CARECEN’s After School and Family Integration Program expands. Thirty-six youth and seventy-five family members participate. Youth collaborate with visiting poets/writers to write poetry. CARECEN publishes "Palabras y Su Fuente" and "Cipotes y Otros Dolores de Cabeza." Both booklets are part of a youth literacy initiative and 150 are distributed to the community.
      Funded by the California Endowment, "Nueva Generación" high school youth leadership interns participate in a Multiethnic Youth Leadership Collaborative (MYLC). With Korean Youth Community Center and Youth Empowerment Project of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, MYLC develops a youth web-site (www.mylc.org) to voice community concerns.
      CARECEN’s education department begins two programs. "Kids Camp" is a quarterly two-week program for off-track fifth graders from Hoover St. Elementary School. Through the "Visiting Artist /Architect" program, youth and families collaborate with artists to create art/theater projects and architects and community designers to design the CARECEN Community Center.
      CARECEN works for passage of the legislation bill HR 36 (House of Representative 36), which works toward equal treatment (as granted to Nicaraguans and Cubans) of Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans under NACARA.
      The Central American Coalition of L.A., of which CARECEN is a member, and the SAAN meet with Congressmembers in Washington to build support of HR 36.
      The ABC committee continues to build its membership and works to amend NACARA, that discriminates against Salvadorans and Guatemalans.
      CARECEN supports Hondurans United of Los Angeles (HULA) in their organizing efforts to create the first community-based organization working to represent the interests of the Honduran community in Los Angeles. HULA mobilizes and organizes in support of the NACARA amendment.
      In late October, the world is shocked by news of the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch, the worst storm to hit the Atlantic coast of Central America in this century. Floods and landslides are responsible for more than 12,000 deaths in Central America; 10,000 people are missing and an estimated 1 million homeless are in need of basic necessities. CARECEN community members donate food, clothing and raise funds through a benefit concert produced by the Guacamole Fund. More than $100,000 is raised for relief.
      As a member organization of the Central American Coalition of Los Angeles, CARECEN plays an active role in providing relief aid for the victims. Hondurans United Los Angeles (HULA), El Rescate, Casa Nicaragua, and Guatemalan Unity Information Agency (GUIA) and CARECEN participate in food and medicine drives for the devastated countries. Over twenty-eight containers of food, clothing and medicine are delivered by the Coalition to Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala.
      The Central American Coalition of Los Angeles joins the Central American Relief Fund and The United Way of Los Angeles in efforts to respond to the devastation caused by the hurricane.
      Due to the disaster, the US government announces Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans and Nicaraguans and the right to work in the U.S. for eighteen months. CARECEN assists the Honduran and Nicaraguan community with TPS applications. In order to meet the tremendous need for assistance, CARECEN adds three TPS paralegals, a half-time attorney and offers two TPS community presentations (charlas) every weekend.