A service agency with a half-century of experience helping people in Denver is expanding to Pueblo to offer behavioral health services for the public and reentry services for parolees.

The new Pueblo office of Servicio de la Raza, or Services for the People, will be located at 805 W. Fourth St., and is set to celebrate its grand opening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 30.

The event, dubbed Dio de las Ninos, or Day of the Children, will feature an Indigenous prayer to honor the location and the community, along with food, family fun activities, Mariachi music, dancing, a ribbon-cutting, health screenings and COVID-19 vaccinations.

“It will all be free to the community, and we are really excited to start building up that space in Pueblo and offer those services to the community,” said Danielle Nachowitz, communications coordinator for Servicio de la Raza.

More: 'Caramel,' the child care RV, is coming to Pueblo

The agency recently received funding to expand its services to Pueblo.

The office staff will help local residents access behavioral health services and also set them up with virtual assistance for medical case management or health care enrollment.

When it comes to reentry services for parolees, who often struggle with day-to-day survival after being released from prison, the agency serves those coming out of the state prison system, not just local prisons.

The services, offered in both Spanish and English, include peer mentoring as well as therapy for substance abuse and for individuals, obtaining medical benefits and family reunification.

The reentry program also offers parolees assistance in finding jobs, locating housing, taking vocational and job training programs, obtaining identification cards, acquiring clothing or gear necessary for work, and transportation assistance.

“If they need work boots or certain tools for work, we can provide them with help getting those for free or through one of our grants,” Nachowitz said. “We also do flagger and forklift certifications.”

Servicios de La Raza was formed in 1972 as a bilingual human services organization to serve Denver’s low-income Latinx Spanish-speaking populations but has since expanded to help other underserved and marginalized communities across the state.

In Pueblo, the agency “will serve anyone who walks through our door — anyone needing emotional and mental support in order to thrive and live a healthy life,” Nachowitz said.

As Servicio De La Raza puts down roots in Pueblo, it will employ a staff of five, "but we are continually looking for additional funding to grow our services in Pueblo," Nachowitz explained. To find out more, go to serviciosdelaraza.org.

Trending: Disappearing ink: Pueblo business bids 'Good Riddance' to unwanted tattoos

Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Bilingual service agency Servicio de la Raza opens new Pueblo office