Bettering the future of our community through immigration services, adult literacy and public outreach.
Building communities through rising qualities of life making a difference that matters! Local non-profit, El Concilio, is thrilled to be celebrating its 50th year in October. The Latin-based community organization works across eleven sites in the Central Valley, and strives to better lives, brighten futures, and empower members of the community. “We are very proud of the fact that we’re reaching that 50-year milestone,” said Jose Rodriguez, El Concilio’s President.
The multi social service organization provides a variety of services to families and people of all ages, including but not limited to, preschool services, a van transportation program, a workforce development program, and several programs aimed at giving people the opportunity to better their lives through education, such as the GED, ESL, and Adult literacy programs. El Concilio also offers immigration services, such as programs that help community members gain citizenship, and immigration attorneys that aid them in navigating the system.
But El Conilio is not only for the Hispanic community. “While initially we primarily focused on the Hispanic community, with time and the need in the community, we now serve anyone who wants to improve their quality of life—regardless if they’re Hispanic,” said Rodriguez. “We’re really proud of that transition because we’ve seen the difference that it makes, and we have so many people that really need our services.”
And it is with passion and purpose that the team at El Concilio has carried out their work for nearly five decades. President Jose Rodriguez has been with the agency for almost 25 years, and has been at the forefront for much of its success. “I love what I do,” exclaimed Rodriguez. “I feel like it’s such a blessing to be able to help people in the community since I was the beneficiary of so many other people’s help. I just can’t believe that I have this tremendous opportunity to work with so many different people and partners, and lead an incredible, dedicated staff, who share my passion of wanting to improve people’s quality of life.”
It is without question that the heart and tenacity of El Conilio and its staff is what has driven its success and fostered the enormous amount of good it has done in the community. “We look forward to continuing our work because we know it’s needed now more than ever,” said Rodriguez. “And we look forward to, hopefully, another 50 years.”
October 20th, El Conilio will be holding a gala in celebration of its 50 years at Villa Angelica, home to Alex and the late Faye Spanos. The event is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased on El Concilio’s website. According to Rodriguez, “What we want is for it to be a community celebration. We are really honored and excited that the Spanos family has opened up their home and allowed us to do this, and we look forward to the community coming and celebrating with us and having a great time! Congratulations to El Concilio on this incredible milestone!