Over the past decade, Mi Centro has become a home for queer and trans Latine Angelenos to find care, joy, and belonging on L.A.’s Eastside. Before the community hub opened its doors in Boyle Heights, there wasn’t a place quite like it, a place where residents, families, and anyone seeking assistance could find connection to support and resources in their own backyard.
A collaboration between the Los Angeles LGBT Center and Latino Equality Alliance, Mi Centro opened in 2015 to bring life-saving resources to a community too often overlooked by mainstream services. What began as a small center offering HIV testing and legal clinics has grown into a vibrant hub for mental health care, youth programming, cultural celebration, and more.
Mi Centro’s programming is created in collaboration with the people it serves. An active community advisory board provides feedback on programming and helps tailor services to the needs of the community. “This is their community center,” says program manager Caín Andrade. “We work for them.”
Mi Centro’s small team connects hundreds of people each year to housing, counseling, and legal services. A monthly farmer’s market, dubbed Mi Mercado, brings fresh produce, health screenings, and wellness resources directly to local families. Since opening in 2015, Mi Centro has been called “a little piece of heaven for gay Latinos” by the Los Angeles Times and has developed a reputation as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ Angelenos in East LA.
In celebration of 10 years of service, Mi Centro welcomed the community for a celebration that embodies this spirit of service and relationship-building. El Sabor de Mi Centro, hosted on site over the weekend, featured food, music, and a community convening about the future of Boyle Heights hosted by Su Salud Está en Sus Manos.
“Kaiser Permanente firmly believes that together we are stronger, and Mi Centro, through the decade’s long partnership with Latino Equality Alliance and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, exemplifies this belief,“ said Mario Ceballos, Community Health Manager. “Mi Centro is not just a place to be and celebrate your authentic self, but a place of safety, comunidad, and an important entry point to a wide range of services responsive to the needs of our LGBTQ+ Latina/o individuals and families.”
This milestone year is made possible thanks to partners like Kaiser Permanente, whose support strengthens Mi Centro’s ability to remain a vital anchor in East L.A. Kaiser’s investment helps sustain the center’s day-to-day operations, ensuring that Latine community members continue to have access to affirming health care, supportive services, and a welcoming space for connection and belonging.
