Millage Recipient Profile - Hispanic Center of Western Michigan

The Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, located in the heart of Roosevelt Park, the largest Latino neighborhood in Grand Rapids, serves over 30,000 individuals annually, focusing on empowering the Latino community. Funded by the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage, the center offers Navigation Services to assist expectant mothers and parents of young children up to five years old. These services connect families to vital resources for children’s development and family self-sufficiency.

The center is recognized for its trusted role in the community, expanding its support services to meet early childhood needs. Its Language Services Department provides crucial translation and interpretation in over 80 languages, facilitating access to essential services for non-English speaking families.

With a community-centric approach, the Hispanic Center also offers domestic violence support, youth internships, a bilingual preschool,  workforce development, health and wellness programs to promote healthy living, and offer COVID-19 information and vaccinations. These programs ensure families have access to necessary resources, including early childhood information and basic needs like clothing and food. For more information on their services, visit www.hispanic-center.org.

Participant Voices:
Andrea Cruz, a Ready by Five client, and her family have used the Hispanic Center's services on multiple occasions. Andrea is a teenager and expectant mother who recently moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan from Guatemala. Andera and her partner were referred internally by our Youth Coordinator after enrolling in high school. Andrea and her family speak the Guatemalan Dialect (mum). Andrea was enrolled in Medicaid and WIC by our Ready by Five navigator, who also helped her schedule doctor appointments. Andrea began experiencing contractions during her meeting with our Community Support Navigator on Tuesday, November 30. We swiftly supplied her with newborn diapers and toiletries before she headed to the hospital. Andrea confirmed the following day that her baby had been born on November 30, 2023. A week later, our Community Support Navigator connected new parents to parent support groups and other resources,