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El Centro Humanitario Para Los Trabajadores (El Centro) is Denver’s first day laborer organization, organized to defend the human rights of day laborers. In 1988, an injured day laborer was found abandoned on the street with serious brain damage. He had fallen off a roof and his employer, who picked up the worker on a street corner, abandoned him in the dark of night to avoid responsibility for his injuries. Concerned with such worker exploitation and the dangerous working environment that Denver’s immigrant day laborers faced as they sought day-to-day work off of street corners, numerous community supporters came together to create a safe indoor place for day laborers. As a result, a run-down warehouse space was rehabilitated by workers themselves and El Centro opened its doors on June 1, 2002.
June 1, 2002: El Centro opened its doors. El Centro was part of the economic justice program under the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).
Nov. 2002: El Centro received its non-profit status, 501(c)(3)
January, 2004: El Centro became fully independent of AFSC.
June, 2005: El Centro received a building donation from Mr. Fred Pasternack
June, 2005-Current: El Centro launched a capital campaign to renovate its run down warehouse.
January, 2007: El Centro begins renovation. Architect: Joe Colistra, inc. DESIGN, Contractor: TC2El Centro Humanitario promotes the rights and well-being of day laborers in Denver through education, job skills and leadership development, united action and advocacy.
Our goals are to develop a sense of community and self sufficiency among workers and to foster worker ownership over El Centro Humanitario.
To contact anyone at El Centro:
El Centro Humanitario
2260 California Street, Denver, CO 80205
Telephone: 303-292-4115
Fax: 303-292-2109Minsun Ji
Executive Director
mji@centrohumanitario.orgEugene Leyba
IT Technician/Facilitator
e_leyba@comcast.netJesus Orrantia
Stored Value Card (SVC) Program Director
jorrantia@centrohumanitario.orgHarold Lasso
Program Development Director
hlasso@centrohumanitario.orgFreddie Medina
Employment Program Director
fmedina@centrohumanitario.orgNancy Rosas
Women’s Program Director
nrosas@centrohumanitario.orgBarbara Zendig
Financial Manager
enhancemanagement@msn.comKim Johnson
Executive Director Assistant
kjohnson@centrohumanitario.orgHermir Bolanos
Job Training Program Director
hbolanos@centrohumanitario.org
Anschutz Family Foundation
Benson Family Foundation
Denver Foundation
First Data/Western Union Foundation
Housing and Neighborhood Services, City of Denver
Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation
Road Home Initiative ( United Funding)
Wolcott Foundation
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC)
Colorado Progressive Coalition
Denver Center for Crime Victims
Denver Work Education
Front Range Economic Strategy Center (FRESC)
Fuerza Latina, Ft.Collins
Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), University of Denver
Graduate school of Education, University of Denver
Latin American Research and Service Agency (LARASA)
MiCasa Resource Center for Women
Our Sister's Keeper Coalition, Durango
Political Science Department at University of Colorado at Denver
Rights for All People / Derechos para Todos (RAP-DPT)
San Miguel Resource Center, Telluride
Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 105
Service Learning, Regis University
Sisters of Color United for Education
University of Denver, College of Law
Washington Park United Church of Christ (UCC)
Please wait to visit our gallery of photos and videos from El Centro Humanitario.
