Ashley Bruce (left), director of the Hispanic Service Center, and Stephanie DelToro (right), senior program coordinator, pose with the agency’s banner outside their building on 113 N. Almont Ave. in Imlay City. Photo by Ben Gagnon
IMLAY CITY — For over 50 years, the Hispanic Service Center (HSC) in Imlay City has striven to meet the needs of the city’s large Spanish-speaking population.
The multicultural agency, located at 113 N. Almont Ave. in downtown Imlay City, provides Hispanic and Latino residents in the city and Lapeer County with translation services while assisting low-income individuals throughout the region. HSC is operated by a director and senior program coordinator and overseen by a board of directors.
Imlay City has by far the highest representation of Hispanics in Lapeer County; according to the 2020 U.S. Census, 32% of the city’s population is Hispanic or Latino, while a 2023 report from Data USA states that Hispanic and Latinos make up 43% of the city’s population.
Among that population are many individuals who only speak Spanish or are learning English as a second language. This is where the HSC steps in to handle translation requests and help clients fill out important applications.
“We’ll often have people who come in needing help to understand notices they’ve received in the mail, like information on Medicare or Medicaid or even a jury duty letter,” said Ashley Bruce, director of the Hispanic Service Center. “If you don’t know English, it’s really helpful to have somebody nearby who can translate for you.”
Bruce said HSC also helps clients with filling out citizenship or passport applications and assists seasonal migrant workers with green card renewals.
Temporary housing assistance is another key facet of HSC, which operates a shelter in Imlay City for homeless families. Shortly after being established as a 501c3 nonprofit in 1973, the center partnered with a local church to develop the shelter, which is a duplex home that can house two families at a time. HSC assumed full ownership of the shelter in the 1980s.
Other services provided by HSC include utility assistance, social security and Medicare assistance and referrals to doctors’ offices and local food pantries. HSC’s own food pantry is available on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Imlay City’s sizable senior citizen population is served by HSC, which provides transportation for seniors to doctors’ appointments and grocery stores thanks to funding from the Valley Area Agency on Aging. HSC also offers recreational activities such as card games and bingo night for seniors, as well as field trips and restaurant outings.
“Most seniors in our program live alone and don’t have family nearby, so they’re isolated and some can’t drive,” said Stephanie DelToro, senior program coordinator for HSC. “The program is a good opportunity for them to get out and socialize with other seniors in the county.”
HSC promotes Hispanic and Mexican culture through its annual Cinco de Mayo celebration (see story above), which is also one of the center’s main fundraisers. Proceeds from Cinco de Mayo help the Hispanic Service Center to provide financial assistance and other services to the community in addition to grants it receives.
While its locations in Imlay City have changed over the years, the agency’s mission has remained the same: providing a safe, welcoming space for members of the Hispanic community to receive assistance, particularly translation services that are not readily available everywhere.
Bruce, who joined as director in 2024, said the center is also geared to assisting residents of all ethnic and racial backgrounds throughout Lapeer County.
“Our bent, of course, is to translate and help Hispanics specifically, but we have the heart to help anyone and everyone who needs it,” she said.
The Hispanic Service Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more about its services, call 810-724-3665 or visit home.imlayhsc.org.
