El Concilio, The Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations of Philadelphia, Inc. Information

Mission Our mission is to cultivate the strength and resilience of children and families, improve the quality of life in our community, and maintain our community’s heritage, history, and culture. Purpose To provide social, educational, cultural, prevention and intervention services and programs to underserved young people and families in the Philadelphia region; To serve as a convener/voice for the diverse Latino community around issues impacting children, youth and families; To serve as a catalyst for maintaining and celebrating the cultural heritages and histories of our diverse Latino communities. Concilio’s Advocacy Role Concilio’s role as an advocate for the Latino community is to be presente, listening to, understanding and giving voice to the needs, wishes and dreams of our diverse community. Concilio also partners with other communities to address shared interests or concerns. History Founded in 1962, The Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations, Inc. (Concilio) is the oldest Latino organization in Philadelphia and has a well-established reputation as a leader for Latino family services. Founded by a group of Puerto Rican leaders concerned with the economic, social and political issues facing the growing Latino community of the City of Philadelphia, Concilio today embodies the same strength and fortitude of our framers, facing somewhat similar issues nearly a half century later.