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$1.5 MILLION IN FREDDIE MAC FOUNDATION GRANTS HELP TWO NONPROFITS EXPAND SERVICES TO MD FAMILIESGrants Enable CentroNía and the LAYC to Meet Needs of Growing Hispanic Population

McLean, VA – Freddie Mac Foundation grants totaling $1.5 million will help CentroNía and the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC), two Washington, DC-based nonprofits primarily serving Latino families, expand their services into suburban Maryland. Both organizations are responding to needs created by changing demographics in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties. Since 2000, the Hispanic population in these counties has grown more than 40 percent.

"We've long been supporters of CentroNía and the Latin American Youth Center," said Ralph F. Boyd, Jr., chairman, Freddie Mac Foundation. "They've done extraordinary work in DC for years, providing a broad range of educational opportunities and critical housing services to Latin American, immigrant and multicultural families. Their expansions beyond D.C. will provide children and families in Maryland with vital services and life-changing opportunities, and we're proud to support their work."

Currently, CentroNía provides comprehensive education and family support services to more than 1,200 low-income Latino, African-American, and multiethnic children, youth and their families in Washington, DC's Columbia Heights neighborhood. With a $750,000 grant from the Foundation, CentroNía will create two new program sites in Langley Park, MD that will eventually serve 175 children and youth.

The main building on University Boulevard is a 15,000 square foot facility that will be shared with CASA of Maryland (CASA), a human services agency serving Latin American, immigrant and refugee communities. The second site, in the Pine Ridge housing complex, consists of two large classrooms, a computer lab and a recreational area. In partnership with CASA, CentroNía will provide out-of-school time programming for 25 school-age children and youth by the third year. The program will serve 15 youth ages nine to 16 years in the first year and expand to include summer programs in the second year.

"Rising housing prices have driven many of the families we serve to the Maryland suburbs," said Beatriz Otero, president and CEO, CentroNía. "With the Freddie Mac Foundation's investment, we will be able to broaden the reach of our programs while maintaining the high quality services that we currently offer in the District of Columbia."

Reflecting the growing number of Latino families in Maryland, the Foundation is also supporting LAYC's continuing expansion to the community. A longtime grantee, LAYC is a network of youth centers, charter schools, and social enterprises with a shared commitment to helping youth become successful and happy young adults, with the skills they need to succeed educationally, professionally and personally. LAYC works with more than 4,000 low-income immigrant and minority youths and their families annually. The Foundation's $750,000 investment will help LAYC transform a former elementary school in Riverdale, MD into a community hub for youth programs and services in Prince George's County and furnish a new residential facility in the District of Columbia for teen mothers who are homeless or abused.

"The Riverdale center is a true community partnership," said Lori Kaplan, Executive Director of the Latin American Youth Center. "We're extremely pleased and grateful to have the support and financial backing of the Freddie Mac Foundation, a powerhouse in our region. Working together, we are transforming this former elementary school into a special place where young people will once again learn, gain confidence, build skills, get help when they need it, and grow into productive young adults. With the Foundation's support, we are able to provide more programs and services to more youth in our region."

In addition, the grant will support LAYC's new residential facility in DC's Columbia Heights neighborhood, which will provide teen mothers with a safe and stable environment where they will be able to learn independent living skills, take parenting classes, receive child care for their children, access job training and have the opportunity to continue their education.

ABOUT THE FREDDIE MAC FOUNDATION: Created by Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation is dedicated to creating hope and opportunity for children and their families. As the largest corporate funder in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation have invested nearly $280 million in organizations serving the community.