Since the early 1940s, diverse groups have found hope and opportunity in Lancaster’s prosperous region. One of those diverse groups is the Latino community which today represents about 40% of the population within the City of Lancaster.
To help this growing population assimilate to life in Lancaster, the Spanish American Civic Association, now known as SACA, was established in 1973. Today, the mission of SACA is to uplift and restore marginalized communities through human, economic and social services, while supporting cultural identities.
Focused on serving the greater Lancaster community, SACA’s programs span far beyond just Latinos but to anyone and everyone who can benefit from workforce development, affordable housing, free and accessible meals, health and human services, senior care and much more.
One such program is SACA’s Community Meals Program, which is uniquely positioned as a hub and check-point within the community. Every meal served is the opportunity for a conversation to understand where other needs may exist.
Another program is Tec Centro. Serving as SACA’s jobs and educational arm, Tec Centro not only helps individuals move into a better career, it helps the community and economy by creating and placing skilled workers where they are needed the most.
SACA’s residency and recovery program is among the very few in the state that is bilingual, meeting an urgent and important community need. And there’s SACA Development, which transforms community wealth by helping low-income families purchase their first home, with fair and favorable terms, helping them begin building equity in the community along with a sense of pride and belonging.
Setting the bar for innovation and uniqueness, SACA strategically created its radio broadcast network (WLCH), specifically designed to reach its target demographic. This creates an extremely cost-effective, high-value way to enhance the organization’s ability to deliver its services, and the services of other community programs right into the heart of the community, in both English and Spanish.
