El Centro de Acción Social, Longtime Community Nonprofit, Abruptly Closes Down

El Centro de Acción Social, reportedly the oldest non-profit organization serving the Latino community in Pasadena, abruptly closed its doors and shut down all its long-running community programs today.

The abrupt closure was announced in a short letter from its Board President Mariana Robles.

“Although El Centro survived many economic downturns throughout the years, the most recent took a devastating toll. The current economic climate, combined with cuts in grant funding and unforeseen costs, have necessitated the closure of our agency,” Robles wrote. “We are reaching out to some of our partner organizations to continue needed services and programs in El Centro’s absence.”

El Centro de Acción Social provided educational services to youth and senior citizens for over 46 years. Founded as a grassroots Latino organization, El Centro evolved over the years to serve children and seniors of all ethnicities but, according to Robles, remained true to its mission of providing opportunities for low income individuals to gain self-sufficiency, particularly individuals from the Spanish speaking community of greater Pasadena.

Through its advocacy and cultural programs, El Centro has reached tens of thousands of families over four decades of existence.