Serving the Latino Community in Hampton Bays, NY
Centro Corazón de María is a place of welcome and hope for underserved immigrants living on the East End of Long Island. Our mission is to provide education, social services, emergency assistance, and advocacy to help newly-arrived individuals and families become independent successful contributors to the community.
Location
Centro Corazón de María is located in the basement of St. Rosalie’s Parish Community Center.
Office hours of operation
- Monday–Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Walk-ins are welcome! You may want to call ahead at 631-728-5558 to be sure we can see you promptly.
About Us
Centro Corazón de María was founded 20 years ago by RSHM Sisters Frances Lane and Mary Lang. The focus of the Center is education through skills classes for the newly arrived with deep respect for their journey and their culture; to offer direct service that is effective and recognizes the human dignity of those in need; and to advocate for just immigration policies locally, state-wide, and nationally. We believe that the East End of Long Island can be a place where immigrants of a long lineage and recent arrival, indigenous people, and African American people can live in peace and harmony.
Programs & Services
Centro Corazón de María is located in the basement of St Rosalie’s Parish Community Center, 31 E Montauk Hwy in Hampton Bays, NY 11946. Upon your arrival, an available staff member will identify concerns and priorities through an intake and an informal interview. If you require ongoing assistance, a case manager will assist you and your family in navigating the services you need and monitoring progress until completion.
Classes
Programs run most mornings from October to May, Monday to Thursday. Most are presented in Spanish, free of charge and include childcare while parents are in class. Classes cover a wide area of topics, including:
Meet our Team
Alma Alegria
Executive Director, Centro Corazon de Maria
Centro Corazón de María welcomes its new Executive Director, Alma Alegria. Ms. Alegria brings a wealth of experience in program administration, operations, case management, and counseling to this position. Previously, she worked with the Rockville Centre Diocese Catholic Charities Immigrant Services, Fidelis Care, and as Social Service Coordinator at Centro Corazón. “I’m excited to return to Centro Corazón de María. Working with the staff, who are immigrants like me, we will continue to carry out Centro Corazón’s mission of delivering services to the immigrant community on the East End of Long Island.”
In addition to managing day-to-day operations, including program planning, grants administration, community outreach and connecting with clients, community organizations and other stakeholders, she will continue Centro Corazón’s tradition of advocating for immigrants’ rights.
Leydy Merced
Education Coordinator
Leydy Merced is the newest member of our team as of July 5th, 2022. Leydy has a Master’s Degree in Spanish Language Studies. In her previous role, she worked as an educator of Spanish Teaching and Bilingual Instruction for all grades. She also used her gifts to serve as a religious education teacher and served other roles in her home parish St. Michael the Archangel (Cleveland, Ohio).
Now, as the Education Coordinator at Centro Corazón de Mariá, she focuses on developing classes that focus on skills development based on the needs of our growing and changing immigrant community. What is more, she builds relationships with other professionals who share their expertise for the benefit of the affected immigrants. Last, but not least, she oversees and aids our volunteers/teachers and childcare workers who have committed themselves to serving in our educational programs.
Best of all, she shares her passion and excitement in being able to support and empower the Latino immigrant community since she herself has experienced starting a new life in a new country filled with opportunities and unknown challenges.
Silvia Pisano
Social Service Coordinator
Silvia Pisano joined Centro Corazon de Maria in the midst of the pandemic in May 2020, after several years of working as a bilingual case manager for special needs adolescents and their families. Silvia has a Master’s degree in Psychology.
As social services coordinator, Silvia Pisano welcomes clients to our drop-in center responding to their needs with empathy and a non-judgmental spirit. Though we welcome all, the great majority of our clients are immigrant women. Their needs range from interpreting a letter from their child’s school to having someone listen to heartbreaking stories of family separation and violence.
Silvia conducts intakes to determine areas of need, makes referrals to local agencies, and offers short-term counseling and case management where appropriate. She also facilitates access to government benefits, such as SNAP [the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program for low-income families]. Silvia is adept at social media. She oversees both our Facebook and Twitter accounts, which help us advocate for immigrants’ rights.
Events 2023
For more information, contact us at:
Centro Corazon de Maria
@ St Rosalie’s Parish Community Center
31 E Montauk Hwy
Hampton Bays, NY 11946