El Concilio expands with S.J. Latino population


By Jennie Rodriguez
Record Staff Writer
May 16, 2008 6:00 AM

STOCKTON - There have been times when Angela Concha's inability to communicate with doctors and lawyers has discouraged the Stockton woman, who speaks only Spanish, from seeking those services.

At El Concilio, Concha, 69, has found an outlet that helps her with a variety of issues in her own language. On a recent Thursday morning, she was there to have a living trust written by the organization's legal staff.

"They treat you well here," she said. "In other places, even though you pay them, they become frustrated when you can't understand them."

Celebrations
• La Comision Honorifica Mexicana will hold a 70th anniversary fundraiser dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Mexican Community Center, 609 Lincoln St., Stockton. Reservations: $20 per person or $200 for a table for 10. A festival featuring cultural dances, music, storytelling and food for sale will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the community center. Festival admission is free. Information: (209) 465-4265.

• El Concilio will host a 40th anniversary gala dinner at 6 p.m. next Friday at the Sheraton Stockton Hotel at Regent Point, 110 W. Fremont St., Stockton. The keynote speaker will be Janet Murguia, president and chief executive officer of the National Council of La Raza. Registration: $125. Information: (209) 547-2855.
This year marks 40 years that El Concilio (Counsel for the Spanish Speaking) has helped tens of thousands of people every year with programs such as its legal services.

As more Latinos call San Joaquin County home, there is an increasing need for such services. More than 35 percent of the county population is Latino, and that number is expected to reach nearly 50 percent by 2050, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and California Department of Finance.

The nonprofit group, started in 1968 by the human services Cursillo movement group from Catholic Charities, has more than a dozen programs, many of them intended for Latinos. They include child care centers for the children of migrant workers, free and low-cost health insurance enrollment, mental health services, English classes and immigration services.

Over the years, the council's services have expanded as new issues for Latinos have surfaced and government funding has become available, said Jose Rodriguez, executive director of El Concilio since 1996.

"I have never seen the organization reach such a level as it has today," said county Supervisor Steve Gutierrez, who has worked with El Concilio to develop programs. "The board of directors, the executive director and the staff have been significant players in the betterment of the Latino community."

Rodriguez also credits his staff and board of directors for the organization's success.

When Rodriguez became director in 1996, the counsel had an operating budget of $1.2 million and 30 employees. Now, the group has a budget of nearly $8 million and employs 180 people. It has expanded with offices in Lodi, Manteca, Tracy and Stanislaus County.

"We're helping people improve themselves, which translates into a better community for everyone," Rodriguez.

In its May edition, Hispanic Business magazine named El Concilio among its 2008 Top 25 Hispanic Nonprofits for its expansion of services. It's the fifth time the group has been listed.

El Concilio, an affiliate of the National Council of La Raza, also receives funding from other sources, including government agencies, to run programs such as CalWORKs case management, Medi-Cal enrollment, counseling in Spanish for DUI first offenders and child neglect case management. It recently received Proposition 63 funding to reach Latinos with mental illnesses and refer them to county mental health services.

"El Concilio has been a significant partner for the county for many years," Gutierrez said.

Contact reporter Jennie Rodriguez at (209) 943-8564 or jrodriguez@recordnet.com.

http://tinyurl.com/3s6v4x