El Futuro Celebrates 20 years
2004 – 2024
Celebrate with us our 20th anniversary
This 2024 marks El Futuro’s 20th anniversary of serving a resilient and brave community. During this time, we have realized that this work has not only been due to our efforts but also to all of you, the community, the people who support us, and the organizations that believe in our mission. This is a message of gratitude and a sample of the scope and impact of what together we make possible: caring for the mental health of the Latino population.
As El Futuro enters its twentieth year of providing mental health services to the Latino community, we look back and look forward on where we’ve come and where we are going!
A letter from our Clinical Director, Lucy Vidal, on 20 years of El Futuro
This 2024 gives us the opportunity to reflect on what we have accomplished in the past two decades and what we hope and dream of in the future. What lessons have we learned? What is our legacy for future generations?
This is the year that marks 20 years of El Futuro’s services to the Latino community and two decades of providing mental health services and substance use treatment to resilient and amazing Latino clients.
“El Futuro marked the end of a dark period and the rebirth of a woman who once lived among the shadows of violence and oppression. Before I came to El Futuro, my normality was pain; silence was my refuge, and shame was my constant companion. But thanks to therapy and the unwavering support of the clinic, I learned that the invisible scars of the mind can heal with the power of words and the courage to confront our own truths. Today, in 2024, I witness my transformation: an empowered woman who challenges her fears, finds answers, and embraces her own light. To the El Futuro clinic, my eternal gratitude for lighting the path in the darkest moments of my life.”
El Futuro began as a volunteer effort and has grown thanks to the care of many individuals in the community. We want to hear from you! If you would like to share a memory you have of El Futuro’s first 20 years, please click on the button below to share your story with us.
Join us in person to celebrate at a 20th Anniversary event
“El Futuro has grown from a fledgling, volunteer-founded organization in 2004 to a staff of 70 providing services for more than 7,400 people annually through direct mental health treatment, mental health promotion and prevention activities in the community (including community fiestas that spark hope and pride in those who attend), capacity-building across North Carolina’s Latino mental health system statewide, and so much more. The positive impacts on thousands of families – kids who do better in school and have more opportunities for the future, parents who regain their hope for the future and gain better employment opportunities, families who create networks of support for themselves and their communities – simply wouldn’t be possible without the financial support of countless individuals, corporations, churches, partners, foundations, municipalities, and other public entities over the last 20 years. This history gives me such excitement, confidence, and hope that, with continued support from this generous community, exponentially more families will be nurtured back to hope and well-being in the next 20 years. I can’t wait to see what we can make possible together.”
“El Futuro’s journey over these 20 years has been a deeply moving experience, filled with the warmth of community support and the richness of continual learning. It’s been an honor to walk alongside our clients and the vibrant tapestry of our broader community, listening intently to their stories and needs. As we celebrate Mental Health Month in May I think about efforts like the Latine Young Adult and Adolescent Advisory Council, where youth guide the improvement of our youth-focused programs; Mi voz nuestra Salud, a learning collaborative of adolescents, parents, community health workers, and community agencies; and the Immigrant Mental Health Solidarity Network, where we’ve gained valuable insights into supporting mental health in youth and addressing substance use challenges that share commonality with other immigrant groups beyond Latinos, state-wide. It is amazing all what we have done and everything we have achieved with the help of all of you.”
Recent News at El Futuro
A Night of Philanthropy for El Futuro
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