wfn.org | Center gets boost in ministry to Los Angeles' Latinos

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Sept. 13, 1999 News media contact: Thomas S.
McAnally*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.    10-32-71B{459}

A UMNS Feature
By Frances Smith*

The election of a Democratic governor in California last year, coupled with
the increasing power of Latino politicians, is bringing fresh recognition to
Plaza Community Center (PCC) in East Los Angeles.

The center was started in 1905 in downtown Los Angeles by a Methodist
minister and missionary, the Rev. Vernon McCombs, and Catherine Higgins.
Designed to serve the Latino community, the center was moved to East Los
Angeles in 1954, following the dramatic shift of Hispanics to the area.

Today, the center has a $5.5 million budget and provides services to
children, women and families in seven locations.

"The climate in the state has changed favorably toward providing human
services to the poor and to underserved people," said Geraldine Zapata, the
center's director. "Many of the top elected officials are directly from the
community we serve or similar communities. They know of the needs and
accomplishments, as well as the potential for improving the quality of life
for every resident who seeks out Plaza for services."  

Given this political climate, Zapata said, "we can be assured of having an
eager, positive ear that is willing to listen as we speak out for the
residents of the community served by Plaza Community Center."

She mentioned specifically the speaker of the state assembly, Antonio
Villaraigosa, who may run for mayor of Los Angeles, several Los Angeles
County supervisors, and U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, whose district
includes the city.

State law imposing term limits on legislators "gives more opportunities
every year for new people to be involved in the electoral process," Zapata
said. 

Officials of Los Angeles County and the state Department of Health often
seek Plaza's assistance. Last year, the county's Department of Children and
Family Services asked the center to be an umbrella for two new projects in
Pomona, 26 miles east of Los Angeles. These include a children's mental
health program and a child abuse treatment and prevention program.

"Because of our expertise and quality of services, they wanted us to oversee
the delivery of services through these projects they were funding," Zapata
said. An auditor from the state Department of Health Services indicated that
Plaza could apply for more funds after he checked out the center's use of a
$25,000 state grant to the Family Medical Clinic.

"After years of quietly doing its work, Plaza is now being recognized for
the powerful force it has become in the community," said William Lively,
outgoing president of the center's board of directors. "People depend on
Plaza. Those in need, whether they be ordinary people of the community or
funding sources looking for a vehicle through which to provide services,
increasingly look to Plaza as an effective and authentic means of meeting
the needs of the community."

Zapata said "wrap-around" services make PCC unique. For example, when a
mother is referred to a child abuse program, staff may discover a substance
abuse problem exists in the family. The mother is then referred to the
women's alcohol and drug recovery center, and medical services are available
in the Plaza Community Clinic, which is open five days a week. 

Plaza prides itself on its bilingual (Spanish and English) and bicultural
approach to working with families. Because most of its staff members are
Latino, they can identify strengths within a family and encourage them. For
example, Latino machismo may not be considered a strength in some cultures.
However, a strong male who works hard and cares for the family represents a
strength on which the family can build, Zapata said.

The Mental Health Center offers an array of services to emotionally
disturbed children ages 5 to 17. A day treatment program evaluates each
child and works on socialization to counter "acting out." A counselor gives
outpatient treatment once a week; a psychiatrist may prescribe medication;
and a social worker may go to a home for a family counseling session. The
Mental Health Center receives children from schools, law enforcement, the
probation program, hospitals and the Department of Children and Family
Services.

The Family Preservation Program (Somos Familia) was designed as an
alternative to foster care.  High-risk children and their families receive
intensive home-based services to help them gain stability and become a
functioning unit.

Zapata was recognized by the California-Pacific Annual (regional) Conference
during its annual session June 17.  She received the Bishop's Medallion
after the showing of a video on PCC, prepared by Leah Gallardo of the
conference staff.  The offering at annual conference was designated for the
children's day care center. Zapata was also honored by Public Television
Station KCET as an outstanding woman during Women's History Month last
February.

Zapata came to Plaza 20 years ago and established the Family Support Center.
She has been PCC's director for the last 10 years.

Additional United Methodist support comes from the Los Angeles District
Urban Ministries, the Conference United Methodist Women, and several local
churches that take an annual offering.

Plaza's newest program offers counseling, in groups and individually, to
battered women. "We're getting women in all our programs who turn out to be
victims of physical abuse," Zapata said. A grant has been received to build
a youth center, but more money is needed, she said.

The center serves about 5,000 people in the course of a year. In the last
nine years, the budget has grown from less than $1 million to nearly $6
million. Funds come from federal, state and county grants and the United
Way, plus United Methodist sources that provide a small percentage of
support.

While 95 percent of the families served are Latino, Plaza assists other
ethnic groups through collaboration with the Southern California Indian
Center, Chinatown Service Center and Drew Child Development in Compton.

PCC is a moving force behind the Latino Children's Action Council, a large
network of children's advocates. Latino elected officials host the monthly
membership meetings, allowing the advocates to address the policy-makers
with strategies that can be taken back to legislative bodies.

"We collaborate with African American, Native American and Latino
organizations in advocating for children at city, county and state levels,"
Zapata said. "We're probably the oldest agency in California working with
ethnics."

	#  #  #

*Smith, a former UMS staff member, is a free-lance writer living in
Claremont, Calif.

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