Central American Refugee Committee East Bay (Comite de Refugiados Centroamericanos) 

Central American Refugee Committee, also known as CRECE, is located in East Oakland, CA. CRECE was founded by a refugee and survivor of the Civil War in El Salvador. On February 21, 1990, CRECE emerged with the hopes of helping our communities and the wish to bring solidarity and love to poor communities in El Salvador. From the beginning, we have defined ourselves as a non-profit organization.

CRECE is a grassroots organization, whose mission is to organize and educate the Latino immigrant community to improve its social, economic and cultural conditions.

In 2014 we started the CRECE Oakland-El Salvador Association in El Salvador. There are a number of volunteers currently participating, and they are the ones who will work to develop their own projects in the communities and establish national and international connections. All this work will be done in coordination with CRECE Oakland.

We refer to other social services and organizations for issues that we cannot personally address, such as immigration issues. We have generated support and service for different communities. We have also achieved the integration of North American and Latino communities in community work and service, and have worked to share our values and culture with the new generation. We have worked on providing alternatives for our young people and children to prevent youth violence and guns, instilling further formal education and addressing different problems that can affect their lives such as drugs, alcohol and prostitution. as an alternative, we developed the CRECE soccer league. We believe that this project has benefited approximately 350 children. CRECE’s commitment has been to work hard on behalf of these children and young adults. We are pleased that we have successfully helped countless families and individuals.

What we do

• Classes for parents with children 0-5 years of age
• Food distribution
• Youth empowerment programs
• Immigration and health workshops
• “Bringing Hope” delegations El Salvador – open to everyone!
• Soccer program
• Cultural celebrations
• Referrals for people who are seeking social services

If you are interested in volunteering or helping any other way possible please contact us directly to our office (510) 533-8140 or send us an e-mail to creceoakland@sbcglobal.net

Also, feel free to give a call directly to our Executive Director, Esteban Marino De Paz, a.k.a. Tulio Serrano (510) 393-9546

For English language inquiries, please reach out to Lynne Wilkins, Board President at Lynne@communityenglishcenter.com or (510) 461-4982