Mano a Mano Family Center is the oldest Latino community organization in the Salem-Keizer area. Incorporated in 1988, Our organization is based in Salem, Oregon, the capital of the State, in the heart of the Mid-Willamette Valley; serving our friends and neighbors in Marion and Polk Counties.
The overarching goal of our programs and services is to support the development of strong nurturing families and communities.
We have learned over the nearly 25 years of our existence that most barriers and emergencies faced by our clients are rooted in the following:
- Cultural and linguistic barriers
- Absence of a safety net
- Exclusion from the formal economy
- Inadequate preventative social services (and)
- Lack of culturally appropriate resources, placements and services
- Statutory Legal Mandates
- Bias of Decision Makers at the State and Federal level
These factors play a pivotal role in Latino Oregonians being more likely to live in poverty than Latinos anywhere in this country (Oregon Progress Board, 2006-2010). Teen pregnancy rates for Latinos in NE Salem are three times higher than for non-Latinos. In 2010, one in every three Latinos in Marion County received emergency food assistance from a local food bank. This and other social inequities affect Latinos (and other minority groups) disproportionately, and contribute to Latinos having a negative health status four years in a row, according to the Oregon Progress Board (2006-2010).
In 2010, more than 11,000 clients received one or more services from Mano a Mano Family Center, including information and referral to community resources, educational programs, leadership and civic engagement programs.
Our mission
Our mission is to educate our Latino and Low Income clients to become Self-Sufficient and Active Contributors to the Well-being of their Community.
Mano a Mano event in the mid-1990s
