In 1991 the St. Boniface Parish was closed. A group of Hispanic families who were participating in
the Christian Base Communities at the parish responded to this blow by founding Centro San Bonifacio,
to encourage community solidarity, and to give structure to self-development projects in the local neighborhood. The experience of the Base Communities, rooted in the tradition of Latin American
liberation theology, became the framework Center's vision and mission to meet immediate the needs

of poor and marginalized local families, while at the same time encouraging long-term self-development and self-sufficiency. One of our earliest initiatives was the training and mobilization of Promotores de Salud (Community Health Promoters).

This is an internationally recognized model to mobilize community members for prevention, health promotionand community-building. Our Health Promoters are both staff and volunteers. Access to
medical and social services has always been a prime concern for immigrants. Our Health Promoters
focus on health promotion and disease prevention while working with families and local networks in the community. Much of their efforts are directed towards accompaniment, mutual support, and community
self-development. Following this self-empowerment model, they are members of the target population
they are seeking to reach: Spanish- speaking, low-income, immigrants.

This approach works because Health Promoters work from within their own communities and share the same values, culture, language and life experiences as their clients. With these ideals, we continue our mission to promote personal and collective self-development within the immigrant Hispanic community through concrete projects based on real needs related to health, education, solidarity and human rights.As an egalitarian organizational model and as members of the very community we serve, we integrate a collective decision-making process with a commitment to mutual responsibility.

to promote personal and collective self-development within the immigrant Hispanic community through concrete projects based on real needs related to health, education, solidarity and human rights. As an egalitarian organizational model and as members of the very community we serve, we integrate a collective, active decision-making process with a commitment to mutual responsibility.”
To fulfill this mission, Centro San Bonifacio has the following concrete objectives: