Centro de los Trabajadores former Centro Humanitario is Denver’s only day laborer center promoting work, dignity, and community. Since 2002, thousands of workers have accessed El Centro’s programs, including know your rights training, direct access to jobs, workforce development and job skills training, as well as leadership development and community building.
Our Mission: To strengthen the working class’ talents and skills through training and capacity building, and boost sustainable economic processes.
Our Vision: A prosperous working class.
OUR VALUES
WORK I DIGNITY I COMMUNITY
History
The founding of El Centro was prompted by an incident that occurred in 1998, an injured day laborer was found abandoned on the street with severe brain damage. He had fallen off a roof while working. His employer, who had picked him up at a street corner, abandoned him in the dark of night to avoid responsibility. Concerned about the prevalence of worker exploitation and dangerous working environments Denver’s day laborers face on a daily basis, community supporters came together to create a safe indoor place for day laborers to gather. Consequently, with support from the City of Denver, a run-down warehouse space at 2260 California Street was rehabilitated with help from the workers themselves and El Centro opened its doors in 2006 as Colorado’s first and only Worker Center. El Centro’s history and role in the greater community are captured in El Centro Story and El Centro Domestic Worker Study, both of which were published by Dr. Tony Robinson, Professor of Political Science at the University of Colorado Denver.
Key Staff
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Mayra Juárez-Denis
Executive Director
Mayra is a native of San Antonio, TX and was raised in Monterrey, Mexico. She is a product of the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD), obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University - College Station and a Master of Science in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin. She has lived long-term in Mexico, the U.S., Spain, and Belgium.
She brings 15 years of non-profit experience (local, national and international) in leadership development, multicultural communication, immigration advocacy, institutional civic engagement, and talent identification. Mayra was also trained in local politics dynamics, as a grassroots community organizer, under the Industrial Areas Foundation broad-based organizing model. She is fully trilingual and triliterate in Spanish, English, and French. Elisa, her daughter, is her most precious treasure and pride.
Contact:
mjuarezdenis@centrohumanitario.org
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Claudia Meza
Executive Administrative Assistant
Claudia Meza, born and raised in Guatemala, studied at the University of San Carlos obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences. She has lived in Denver for 20 years with her husband and 3 children. She enjoys the beauty of Colorado through outdoor walks, hiking, and actively participates in her faith. She is passionate about creating video editing and digital scrapbooking projects.
She joined Centro de los Trabajadores sin May 2021 as a screener and most recently as an Executive Administrative Assistant. She worked previously as an insurance agent for 12 years, this allowed her to hear many stories about the hard work, the language challenges, and the transitions of cultures. She was also teaching Literature and Writing Strategies classes for GED students, where she was able to observe people's desire to excel by having better jobs, better positions, and a better quality of life.
Contact:
cmeza@centrohumanitario.org
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Norys Castillo
Community Economic Development and Employment Coordinator
Norys is Venezuelan, currently living in Colorado for more than 7 years with her family. She has extensive experience in conflict management, personnel selection, hiring and organizational development. She obtained a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources and a Master's degree in Labor Relations in my country.
She worked for more than 10 years in this area and her experience in the state of Colorado has been in Denver Public Schools for about a year and a half in different tasks and she also worked at the Consulate General of Guatemala for more than two years as a local assistant.
Her experience as an immigrant has undoubtedly been a great challenge, which has awakened in her the need to help whenever possible.
She decided to move to Colorado because of the beautiful landscapes which she really enjoys with her son Miguel Ignacio and her husband.
Contact:
ncastillo@centrohumanitario.org
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Monica Rodriguez
Direct Action (DAT) Wage Theft Program Coordinator
Monica was raised in Mexico until her family migrated to the United States when she was 10 yrs old. As a DACA recipient and daughter of undocumented immigrants, she is particularly interested in advocating for the physical, mental, and social well-being of undocumented immigrant communities. She moved to Denver to pursue a MA in (Medical) Anthropology at the University of Colorado Denver focusing on im/migrant health. She is currently the Wage Theft Coordinator for El Centro since August 2022. She is passionate about empowering, advocating for, and working alongside our immigrant communities.
contact:
mrodriguezrafael@centrohumanitario.org -
Cynthia Moreno
Community Worker Care Program Coordinator
Cynthia was hired in 2021 to build a framework of trauma-informed practices into all aspects of El Centro with the input and influence of the community. She holds a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Denver, School Social Work. Her approaches in systems theory and narrative therapy allow her to center workers’ stories, social identities, and cultural upbringings to understand how people see themselves and interact with the world around them. Cynthia brings a horizontal leadership perspective that stems from studying social movements and adopting anti-oppressive methods of holding power and leading. Her experiences in youth programming and family therapy have shaped her skill sets of facilitation, mentoring, and guiding others with the values of respect and self-determination. As a former farmworker from Yakima, Washington, Cynthia connects with the struggles of workers. Outside of work, Cynthia enjoys elevating her creativity by connecting with her family, conversing over coffee, and listening to music to re-energize her.
Contact:
cmoreno@centrohumanitario.org
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Lorena Osorio
Emprendedores del Centro Coordinator
Lorena was born and raised in Acapulco Guerrero and currently resides in Westminster CO. She is a mother of two children, and in her free time she enjoys dancing, listening to music and spending time with her family. Lorena firmly believes in community strength and leadership, she loves helping her community grow, improve and support the well-being of her community.
She has been volunteering in the community for more than 10 years in different areas, such as health, job fairs, and family well-being, in various organizations, as community outreach. During this time, she was able to see many inequities, barriers and challenges that the community faces. This sparked her passion and desire to continue working and collaborating with the community to create systems of change and impact that were equitable.
She knows that to create a healthy and strong community, there must be collaboration between organizations, cities, policymakers and the community; honoring the expertise and leadership of people within the community, and she feels El Centro is that place.
Contact:
losorio@centrohumanitario.org
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Deysi Bueno de Luna
Bienvenidos a Denver Coordinator
Deysi Bueno De Luna was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She is a first-generation Latina who recently graduated in May 2023 from Metropolitan State University of Denver with her masters degree in Social Work. Her passion for getting her degree in social work came from her parents who migrated here to the US in search of better opportunities, not just for them but for her siblings and herself. She started her journey with Centro De los Trabajadores in January 2023 as an intern. Once graduated, she was given the opportunity to run a new program called Bienvenidos a Denver. Her vision for the program is to continue advocating for the immigrant community for tools and resources that will support them with their integration within the community and help them navigate the different systems such as employment, education and health care systems.
Contact:
deysibuenodeluna@centrohumanitario.org
Board of Directors
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Cec Ortiz
Board President
Philanthropist, Colorado Community Leader, Consultant at Colorado Latino Age Wave -
Jesús Orrantia
Board Vice President
Denver Parks and Recreation, City of Denver -
Rebecca Galemba
Associate Professor
Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver