By Lupe Izzo in the Lansing State Journal, October 6, 2014
For nearly 50 years, the Cristo Rey Community Center has served people and families living throughout the tri-county area. The center opened in 1968 to help meet the needs of the poor, vulnerable, immigrants, migrants and all in need.
The center’s staff heals the sick, feeds the hungry, protects and enriches children, engages and honors our elderly, and is a voice for the most vulnerable in our community.
The Cristo Rey Community Center has helped many Lansing residents get back on their feet during difficult times. The Center has never turned away anyone in need of medical care, food or clothing. In times of despair, visitors are treated with understanding and compassion.
For me, the Cristo Rey Community Center represents a place where family and friends — no matter their ethnicity or religion — can celebrate their heritage. Programs and events bring people together in so many positive and supportive ways.
Cristo Rey Community Center is open to the entire community. When my parents helped to create the center, it was initially dedicated to Spanish-speaking migrant care. They would be proud to see how the center (with 10 on-site programs) has grown to now serve the needs of everyone.
The center’s focus is on maintaining stability, consistency and flexibility in order to fulfill the organization’s mission: to provide for the hungry; care for the sick; teach and empower our community; support individuals through difficult transitions; engage vulnerable populations who would otherwise be isolated due to language barriers; honor our elderly; and protect and enrich our youth.
The work being done at Cristo Rey Community Center is so important to those in need — children, families, seniors — who would suffer without it. We must continue address poverty so that our entire community flourishes.
I invite you to join me and others who support this great community resource by considering a gift of time or money. This important investment will make a positive difference in someone’s life.