NEWS

On December 21, 2025, Central American Collective joined residents of Colonia Vásquez in Soyapango, San Salvador to celebrate the holiday season with a heartfelt Fiesta Navideña. Colonia Vásquez is one of the adopted communities supported by our organization, making this gathering a meaningful opportunity to connect and give back.

For the celebration, Central American Collective donated traditional tamales, sweet bread, drinks, and Christmas baskets, helping create a warm and festive atmosphere for community members. The local government also contributed by donating toys for the children of the neighborhood, adding to the holiday joy along with neighbors that volunteered: Michelle Ruiz and the Comite Deportivo Los Conocastes.

Colonia Vásquez is home to a large elderly population, and this event was intentionally designed to give residents a fun and engaging afternoon. Neighbors came together to play games, share a meal together, and even hit la piñata —bringing laughter, movement, and celebration to all ages.

The event was emceed by Dennis Quijano, a longtime collaborator of Central American Collective, whose ongoing support and presence helped make the celebration both joyful and inclusive. The Fiesta Navideña in Colonia Vásquez highlighted the importance of creating spaces for connection, joy, and community care during the holiday season.

On December 20, 2025, the Colonia El Carmen neighborhood in Soyapango, San Salvador came together to celebrate the holiday season with a joyful Fiesta Navideña. Colonia El Carmen is one of the adopted communities supported by Central American Collective, making this event especially meaningful for our organization.

Central American Collective proudly contributed to the celebration by donating snacks, drinks, cakes, and holiday giveaways for families in the community. In addition, the local government supported the event with a generous donation of toys, bringing smiles and holiday cheer to children throughout the neighborhood.

This celebration marked the first official event organized by the recently reinstated Neighborhood Board, an important milestone for community leadership in Colonia El Carmen. We were honored to support the Board as they kicked off new programming and initiatives aimed at strengthening neighborhood engagement and unity.

The event was emceed by Dennis Quijano, a key collaborator of Central American Collective, whose energy and connection to the community helped make the celebration a success. The Fiesta Navideña was a beautiful reminder of the power of collaboration, community leadership, and shared joy during the holiday season.

Futbol Takes Over East Aldine

On Tuesday, December 9, we successfully hosted our second free community soccer clinic, the East Aldine Fútbol Takeover, at James Driver Park. The event continued the momentum of our growing Fútbol Takeover series, welcoming youth participants from the East Aldine community and surrounding areas.

The event was made possible with the support of East Aldine District, serving as the Presenting Sponsor, along with valued partners including the Houston Department of Transformation, Harris County Precinct 2, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, Telemundo Houston, BakerRipley, Poder Hispano, Houston Dynamo FC and additional community supporters.

Houston Soccer Centro Academy once again led the on-field programming, delivering a high quality session focused on skill development, teamwork, and confidence-building. Their coaches created an engaging and inclusive environment that allowed players of all experience levels to learn, grow, and enjoy the game.

Beyond the soccer clinic, families were able to enjoy an evening of community connection, local vendors, and prize giveaways—reinforcing the event’s mission to bring accessible, family-friendly programming directly into the neighborhood.

The East Aldine Fútbol Takeover demonstrated the power of collaboration between community organizations, sponsors, and local leaders to create meaningful opportunities for youth. We look forward to continuing to expand this initiative and bringing future Fútbol Takeover events to more communities across the region.

Photos & footage: Noe

Futbol Takes Over South Houston

On Saturday, November 15, we relaunched the South Houston Fútbol Takeover, a free youth soccer clinic designed to bring our community together through the power of sport. The event was a tremendous success, with 121 young athletes registered and participating throughout the day.

We were honored to partner with Houston Soccer Centro Academy, whose professional coaching team led high-energy, skill-building sessions for boys and girls of all levels. Their commitment, structure, and passion created an engaging environment where every participant could learn, grow, and enjoy the game.

A special thank-you goes to Coach Agustín Loredo and South Houston High School for providing the perfect venue. Their support ensured a smooth, safe, and welcoming experience for all families in attendance.

The South Houston Fútbol Takeover brought together youth, families, coaches, and community partners for a day filled with teamwork, confidence-building, and fun. We look forward to continuing these efforts and expanding accessible, high-quality soccer opportunities for youth across our community.

Video/Photos: Elizabeth Umanzor

We’re back for one final event for the year!

Thank you for stopping by our booth and participating in our book giveaway!

We will select a winner every hour (2pm, 3pm & 4pm) and contact them via text message to return to the booth to pick it up. In case they are unable to, we will make arrangements for pick up at a later date.

WINNERS