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CENTRAL AMERICAN REFUGEE CENTER CARECEN NY

HEMPSTEAD, NY · EIN 112705005 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P84Z · Human Services · Medium ($1M-$10M) · carecenny.org
revenue
$4.0M
expenses
$4.1M
net assets
$810K
employees
57
volunteers
42
program ratio
96%
mission · from form 990

TO PROVIDE PRO BONO / LOW BONO IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION TO NEW AMERICANS.

profile · synthesized from sources

CENTRAL AMERICAN REFUGEE CENTER CARECEN NY provides free and low-cost immigration legal services, community education, and advocacy for immigrants on Long Island. The organization serves diverse immigrant populations through direct legal representation, naturalization assistance, youth immigration support, and workforce and language programs. It operates as a nonprofit with a focus on empowering new Americans to fully participate in civic and economic life.

named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Citizenship Program
Provides free assistance with naturalization applications, fee waivers, and application fee vouchers through the Office of New Americans’ Nassau and Suffolk Opportunity Centers.
Community Education
Offers citizenship classes, English language (ESOL) instruction, workforce support, social work services, and support groups to help immigrants integrate.
Low-Bono Program
Offers low-cost legal assistance for DACA, TPS, green cards, and work permits.
Office of New Americans Legal Counsel Program
Offers immigration legal services and community outreach, funded by the Office of New Americans, serving Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Rapid Response Program
Provides legal services to recently arrived immigrants in removal proceedings through a self-help model, including assistance with asylum and work permit applications.
Special Programs
Hosts short-term initiatives including the Afghan Legal Assistance Program and manages internship and mentorship programs with law schools.
Youth Immigration Project
Provides legal representation to unaccompanied children on Long Island, in partnership with Immigration Justice Corps and Terra Firma National medical-legal partnership.
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • ESL and Citizenship Instruction 2 activities
    • Citizenship and naturalization support
      Offers free citizenship test preparation classes and naturalization application assistance through the Office of New Americans' Nassau and Suffolk Opportunity Centers. Classes are 10-week programs that restart quarterly, with open enrollment and repeat participation allowed, serving immigrants in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
    • English language instruction
      Provides free virtual English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes for adults over 18 in Nassau and Suffolk County. The 10-week program is conducted remotely via Zoom and includes graduation certificates for students who complete required class and homework hours.
  • Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 1 activity
    • Advocacy for immigrant rights and policy change
      Engages in advocacy at local, state, and federal levels to protect immigrant rights, including opposing policies that enable local police-ICE collaboration, challenging executive orders on birthright citizenship and deportation, and supporting implementation of federal immigration policies under both Biden and Trump administrations. Also educates local government and judicial officials on immigrant community needs.
  • Language Access Services 1 activity
    • Client and volunteer accompaniment
      Provides client accompaniment services during weekday business hours and utilizes volunteer tutors, translators, and interpreters on a project-by-project basis, primarily in remote settings. Volunteer-led tutoring sessions are conducted remotely via Zoom during weekday evenings.
  • Community Event-Based Giving Programs 1 activity
    • Community education and resource events
      Hosts weekly and recurring community events that provide access to medical care, financial literacy, scholarship opportunities for youth, and other essential resources. Also organizes annual school supply distributions and holiday toy giveaways to support Long Island’s immigrant families.
  • Immigration Legal Services 1 activity
    • Immigration legal services
      Provides pro bono and low-bono immigration legal services, including representation for asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, DACA, TPS, green card, and naturalization applications. Operates through programs such as the Rapid Response Program, Low-Bono Program, Youth Immigration Project, and Afghan Legal Assistance Program on Long Island.
  • Community Resource Navigation and Support Services 1 activity
    • Social work and mental wellness services
      Provides social work services to connect immigrant clients with essential resources and support systems, including mental wellness support groups that promote coping skills and community connections.
  • Workforce Readiness Training 1 activity
    • Workforce development and job readiness
      Offers workforce support services including professional skill building and 32 annual workforce development workshops to help immigrant job seekers develop skills and secure employment on Long Island.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$3.99M
Contributions & grants$3.83M96%
Program service revenue$163K4%
Investment income$9K0%
Other revenue$-4K
expenses
Total expenses$4.14M
Program expenses96%
Admin / overhead3%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$3.67M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.91M
Cash$530K
Investments$0
Liabilities$1.10M
Net assets$810K
Liquid reserves1.5 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +33.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 4
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
JESSICA GREENBERG ESQ LEGAL DIRECTOR 40 $135K
ANDREA MADRID ESQ SUPERVISING ATTORNEY 40 $120K
ELISE DE CASTILLO ESQ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THRU SEPT. 2024 40 $119K
MELANIE CREPS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AS OF SEPT. 2024 40 $95K
board members · 9
  • ALEXANDER HOLTZMAN — DIRECTOR
  • AMY FLORES — PRESIDENT, AS OF JULY 2024
  • BLANCA A VILLANUEVA — PRESIDENT, THRU JULY 2024
  • GABRIELA CASTILLO ESQ — SECRETARY
  • JUAN MARTINEZ — DIRECTOR
  • LAURIS WREN ESQ — DIRECTOR
  • LUIS VAZQUEZ — INTERIM TREASURER
  • RUTH SILVERMAN — DIRECTOR
  • SYED NAQVI — DIRECTOR, THRU JAN. 2024
relationships · 11

Who they work with

  • BBC News Partner — Collaborated with BBC News for media interviews to discuss immigration issues.
  • Catholic Charities Community Services Partner — Former employer of Jessica Greenberg, Esq., where she served as Director of Bronx Immigration Services prior to joining CARECEN-NY.
  • Facebook Partner — Platform used to share information about upcoming events
  • Harmony Health Partner — Partners with CARECEN through the Terra Firma National medical-legal partnership to provide medical and mental health care to unaccompanied immigrant children.
  • Long Island Network — Primary geographic focus for immigrant services, education, and advocacy.
  • NYC Department of Buildings Government — Fernando Ruiz served in an administrative capacity at this agency, gaining experience with local government operations and policy.
  • New York Office for New Americans Partner — Partnership to offer citizenship test preparation classes.
  • New York Office of New Americans Partner — Partner organization in delivering free English classes to adult learners in Nassau and Suffolk County.
  • Office for New Americans Partner — Partnered to deliver the Professional Pathways program for skilled immigrants.
  • U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Partner — Jessica Greenberg interned with this organization in Jerusalem, Israel, gaining experience with West African asylum-seekers.
  • Zoom Partner — Uses Zoom as a platform for remote volunteer tutoring sessions.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Empowerment Through Community Education and Leadership Development
    methodology: community_education_and_empowerment
    By combining multilingual community education with leadership development, immigrants gain the knowledge and agency to advocate for themselves, because sustained empowerment reduces dependency on external advocates and creates lasting systemic change.
  • Individualized Employment Integration for Skilled Immigrants
    methodology: individualized-employment-integration
    By offering targeted coaching and upskilling aligned with prior qualifications, skilled immigrants achieve faster labor market integration, because recognition of existing expertise increases employment relevance and career advancement.
  • Integrated Legal and Health Care via Medical-Legal Partnership
    methodology: medical-legal_partnership
    By embedding legal services within medical and mental health care settings, vulnerable immigrants receive more effective support, because legal issues such as immigration status directly impact health outcomes and treatment adherence.
  • Legal Representation as Critical Pathway to Safety
    methodology: legal_representation_access
    By providing high-quality legal representation, immigrants are more likely to remain safely in the U.S., because legal status is the foundational determinant of security and integration outcomes.