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Phone: 202-328-9799

Fax: 202-328-7894www.carecendc.org

CARECEN

1460 Columbia Road, NW Suite C-1

Washington, DC 20009To donate please visit our website at

www.carecendc.org or send your check or

money order to CARECEN-Legal Defense Fund,

1460 Columbia Road, NW Suite C-1Washington, DC 20009

CARECEN Legal Defense Fund

The ongoing economic crisis has had a

huge impact on nonprofits like CARE-

CEN and the community we serve. The

legal program has been hit very hard

with a significant loss of funds from

private foundations and federal grants.

Immigrant communities are facing an increasingly

hostile environment in which local police act as

immigration agents, deportations are on the rise

and families are being torn apart.

For over 30 years CARECEN has been addressing the

legal needs of Latinos in the area, protecting the

rights of the most vulnerable immigrants, facilitat-

ing their transition to the United States, and provid-

ing them with resources and tools to become thriv-

ing and engaged community members. We need

your help to continue providing essential low and

no-cost bilingual legal services to Latinos in theWashington metropolitan area.

Your support will help CARECEN:

Provide desperately needed legal assistance to

domestic violence victims seeking U Visas, working

parents trying to petition for their underage chil-

dren, and single mothers fighting deportation in

order to raise their U.S. citizen children.

Reduce or waive fees for clients living below the

poverty line, making them eligible to receive sup-

port that they otherwise couldnt afford.

Assist newly eligible undocumented youth to ob-

tain work permits and deferral of deportation pro-

ceedings, clearing the way for them to remain in

the country and work without fear of being de-

ported.

Strengthening the Latino Community in the Washington, D.C. Area

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Housing Counseling Program

The Housing Counseling Program seeks to secure safe

and affordable housing for Latinos in the Washington

metropolitan area. CARECEN offers individual counsel-

ing and educational workshops on topics such as fore-

closure prevention, credit and financial management,

and tenant rights, as well as technical assistance to

tenant groups and associations. Through these pro-

grams, CARECEN informs tenants and homeowners of

their rights and equips community members with thefinancial literacy tools to make well-informed deci-

sions, particularly in relation to their housing needs.

Community Support Services Program

The Community Support Services Program helps cli-

ents overcome and prevent common problems such as

unemployment, lack of access to health care, tax

debts, and workplace abuse. CARECEN facilitates ac-

cess to vital services such as low-cost health care clin-

ics, job training programs, free tax preparation and a

wide range of other resources. Through this program,

CARECEN operates a low-income taxpayer clinic that

aims to increase the number of Latino immigrants who

understand and comply with their obligations underthe U.S. tax code and who are educated consumers of

tax preparation services. As part of a new initiative in

partnership with the D.C. Superior Court, CARECEN

offers bilingual dispute resolution services on-site once

a month to individuals with employment, consumer,

tenant, and other issues.

Immigration Legal Services

CARECENs legal department helps community mem-

bers navigate the at-times confusing and intimidating

immigration process. The program seeks to facilitate

Latino immigrants transition to the United States,

reunite families, secure work authorization and eco-

nomic security, and seek legal relief and justice for

victims of crimes and abuse. Specifically, the low- or

no-cost services provided include assistance with

naturalization, family visa petitions, consular process-ing, obtaining and maintaining Temporary Protected

Status, deportation defense, asylum applications, and

filing for U Visas. In addition to direct services, CARE-

CENs legal department educates community mem-

bers through Know Your Rights forums on topics

including immigration, civil rights, and notario fraud.

Hours of consultation: Mondays and Wednesdays

from 9:00am-11:00am. Tuesdays from 1:00-3:00pm

Citizenship and Civic Participation

The Citizenship and Civic Participation Program ac-

companies citizenship candidates through the entirenaturalization process and beyond. CARECEN assists

those eligible for naturalization in filing their applica-

tions and prepares candidates to take the U.S. natu-

ralization examination by offering civics and civics-

focused ESL classes, individual tutoring, and mock

citizenship interviews. The program also promotes

community participation in local civic and democratic

action through organizing, advocacy and training for

community members, targeted media efforts to in-

crease citizen education, election and voting forums,

and voter registration campaigns.Quarterly Citizenship courses are offered in January,

April, July and September.

CARECEN was originally founded to protect the

rights of refugees from conflict in Central America

and provide direct legal services that would ease

their transition to their new life in the United

States. Over time the organization has evolved and

grown with the population into broader areas of

community service and economic development,

establishing itself as a strong advocate on critical

policy issues related to immigration, housing, andcivil rights. CARECENs programs are available to

low and moderate income Latinos in the Washing-

ton metropolitan area.

In addition to serving approximately 5,000 Latinos

directly each year, CARECEN also reaches a large

segment of the Latino population in the greater

Washington area through outreach and education

efforts.

Main Inside Heading

Since 1981, the Central American Resource

Center (CARECEN) has fostered the compre-

hensive development of the Latino popula-

tion in the Washington metropolitan region

by providing direct legal services, housing

counseling, citizenship education, and com-

munity economic development, while pro-

moting grassroots empowerment, civic edu-

cation, and civil rights advocacy.

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