New Presa Community Education and Technology Center hosts open house

by Jordan McMorrough
Today's Catholic

Dr. Louis Agnese, president of the University of the Incarnate Word, and Archbishop Patrick F. Flores unveil a plaque located just inside the front doors of the center.
Photo by Jordan McMorrough

SAN ANTONIO • Through a unique partnership between the University of the Incarnate Word, the Presa Community Center and the community development corporation Presa Real, a much-needed project has come to fruition. The Presa Community Education and Technology Center (3721 South Presa St.) hosted an open house on Nov. 10 to showcase its new facility and services available to the San Antonio community. The open house event featured a blessing by Archbishop Patrick F. Flores.
The center combines the business assistance programs offered by Presa Real, the youth and senior services of the Presa Community Center and the educational services provided by UIW.

    In October 2001, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of University Partnerships awarded funding to UIW to create a project that offered services including parent training, tutoring, mentoring, micro-business development and computer literacy to the community. The grant, awarded to Hispanic serving institutions to assist local communities, totaled $389,000. The funds were instrumental, not only for the construction of the new building, but also to establish a service-learning partnership between the South Presa community and the university.
    “The fundamental feature of the grant is to develop a partnership,” said John M. Velasquez, UIW associate professor of psychology.
    As the vision of the partnership materializes, the importance of the services to be offered becomes more apparent.
    The Presa Community Center, a social service outreach agency, provides services to more than 16,000 community members in an area of the city of San Antonio that is historically economically depressed.
    “We are proud to be a part of such an important project,” Velasquez said. “This partnership has provided a training ground to assist the people of the South Presa community. The vital work of this grant is just beginning.”
    That sentiment was echoed by Dr. Louis Agnese, president of UIW. In remarks at the blessing event, he said, “We had a vision and made it happen. But now, the work has just begun, and it will happen on an ongoing basis.”