History of the Institute

The Instituto Latino de Cuidado Pastoral Care, Inc. was begun on September 10, 2001 by The Reverend Doctor Rebeca M. Radillo with a dream and her credit card.

Since its inception, the Institute has served more than seven thousand (7,000) people by providing classes, training events and workshops for clergy, lay and community persons in a wide variety of areas including: Biblical and theological foundations of pastoral care; women, depression and spirituality; men and mental health; conflict management; post-traumatic stress syndrome; addressing domestic violence; understanding the hyperactive child; parenting skills; HIV/AIDS education and prevention; and strengthening marriage and family life.

The information and training these persons have received can be multiplied several times over because they go back to their respective churches and communities and share the information and skills that they acquired with parishioners, neighbors, friends and family members.

The Institute partnered with the United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) following the bombing of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 to address the needs of the victims of 9-11 by providing financial assistance and referrals for counseling, workshops addressing trauma and depression, and financial assistance for the beginning of small businesses.

One of the most significant aspects of the ministry of the Institute has been its collaboration with community agencies/ organizations, such as the Latino Commission on AIDS and the Puerto Rican Family Institute, Inc.  Also significant has been its ability to work with all of the mainline churches, as well as with many other denominations, such as the Salvation Army, Assemblies of God, Church of God, and Pentecostal Churches.

 The Institute was initially housed at La Resurreccion United Methodist Church in the South Bronx. In December 2005, it moved to The Church of The Village (United Methodist Church) on the lower west side of Manhattan and in October 2010, the Institute moved to its current location at the Blanton-Peale Institute on West 29th Street @ 5th Avenue in Manhattan.