The Archdiocese of Washington founded the Spanish Catholic Center in 1967 to provide services to low-income and limited-English-proficient immigrants in the areas of education, health, and social needs. The mission of the Spanish Catholic Center is to provide charitable services to the Hispanic community of the Washington metropolitan area by promoting civic, social, health, economic, and educational betterment. During 2002, the Center provided 55,000 services for people from nearly 74 different countries at its sites in Washington, DC and in Langley Park and Gaithersburg, Maryland. Provided services fall within five separate areas: 1) medical and dental, 2) civic/immigration, 3) social services/case management and homelessness prevention (mental health counseling, women’s support groups, food provision, referrals to shelters and legal assistance professionals, etc.), 4) economic development/small business development and employment counseling, and 5) adult education/ESL courses and construction/plumbing/electrician pre-apprenticeship program.