The Centro del Muchacho Trabajador (CMT) was founded by Jesuit priest, Fr. John Halligan, SJ in the attic of Jesuit church, La Compañía.

Around 200 young shoeshine boys joined as members. The Center was a safe space for kids to be kids and receive 3 meals a day.

The Center offered dorm-style sleeping accommodations for those who needed it as well as basic medical and dental care.

Padre Juan put out an all-call for additional support. Madre Miguel Conway, BVM answered that call and traveled from Iowa down to Quito’s city center.

Seeing a need for education, Madre Miguel worked to create a curriculum and it was approved by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education.

The boys studied for 1/2 days and worked for the other half.

The CMT raised enough funds to build its own center in the downtown neighborhood of La Marín.

The Center’s Technical Education Program was implemented, including metal mechanics and carpentry.

Padre, Madre and the Center team realized that in order to break the cycle of poverty, they needed to work with the entire family.

200 families joined as Center members.

The CMT opened up its programming to young girls and began the Center’s “Girls’ Program.” In this program, girls of all ages learned artisanal skills to be able to help support their families.

The CMT expanded and built another campus in Cotocollao, a neighborhood in the north of Quito.

The Center’s Technical Education program expanded to include sewing, bakery, auto mechanics and cosmetology.

The Center’s own “Year Long Volunteer (YLV)” program began.

However, since its inception, the Center had the support of countless volunteers, including Madre Cindy and many other BVM sisters.

The Center won the award for “Best Artisan Center in Ecuador” by the Artisan Defense Board.

The Center’s storefront businesses - below the Community House - opened up.

Today, there are 2 restaurants, a beauty salon owned by Nancy Ramón - a former Center member, an auto showroom, and an auto parts warehouse.

La Gota de Leche, or Drop of Milk program began to help young mothers prepare before, during and after their pregnancy.

The Center’s medical team provided education and resources to ensure the mother and baby’s health during the first year.

An impact study was published and demonstrated that 75% of Center graduates overcome poverty forever.

On behalf of the Center’s work with the most vulnerable, Padre Juan received the Opus Prize, one of the most recognized humanitarian awards.

The CMT - Una Familia de Familias celebrated 50 years of service and accompaniment of the working poor in Quito.

The Center sought out alternatives for their programming and services, as the Ecuadorian government strictly enforced child labor laws.

Center volunteers collaborated with the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion (MIES) to facilitate extracurricular activities to ensure that Center students would be in a safe place while their parent(s) worked.

Due to financial constraints, the Center consolidated to the campus in Cotocollao.

There was an official leadership transition under the guidance of the Ecuadorian Jesuits.

For the first time in its history, the Center offers an accredited High School Degree program.

There are two course for students to choose from: general studies & technical education with a focus in metal mechanics.

The COVID-19 pandemic came to Ecuador and on March 13th, the Center had its last in-person class.

The Center team worked tirelessly to ensure the well-being of its “Family of Families.” Food kits, virtual health-checks, psychological support, spiritual accompaniment, and distance learning were provided.

We celebrated the Center’s first graduating high school class made up of 16 students.

To accurately represent the mission, the Center changed its name to The Center - A Family of Families.

In February, after more than 695 days, the Center returned to in-person classes!

Current Center programming is still limited due to the continued challenges brought on by COVID-19 and the vulnerability of its community.