“My mission is to change lives,” Norberto Fonseca said.
In 1989, as a theology student, he moved from Puerto Rico to New York, where he began to serve communities in need.
He, too, struggled financially, he said. “I know what it’s like to have a lot of needs.”
He met Latino families and seniors who – due to language barriers – were unaware of the services and programs available to them. He also noticed that many seniors felt isolated and did not receive proper health care or reliable food.
“They don’t get the right information on time,” he said. “They don’t know about the services.”
But through this experience, Norberto dreamed of a new way to help people.
“I saw that seniors needed to be together,” he said. If he could create a space for them to gather, he could offer them the services and programs that they needed.
“I felt like this was a calling from God,” he said.
After moving to Central Florida, Norberto decided to open the Advance Community Center, an organization offering food assistance, health care services, and an adult day center where seniors can gather for entertainment and community.
Norberto’s dream of bringing people together became a reality on the center’s first day in 2016: 600 seniors arrived to learn about their services.
In partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, the Advance Community Center offers daily food pantry distributions, emergency boxes for people who lose their jobs, and food delivery and mobile distributions.
Today, they reach about 3,500 families every month.
Norberto doesn’t rest on the knowledge that he’s reached so many people. He hopes to expand his work in the coming years by building a new facility with health care services and a food pantry where people can choose their own groceries, he said.
Latinos make up more than half of the population of Osceola County, where the center is based. By building awareness of their services among the Spanish-speaking population, Norberto knows he can continue to reach the people who most need assistance.
“When you’ve got the network and God on your side, nothing is impossible,” he said.
