Community, connection, and communication all converge at Galan Cultural Center, but there’s one ally that truly stands out: creativity.
The arts, in particular.
Thanks to a recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation through the CIELO Fund, Galan Cultural Center is making new strides to offer something unique to Inland Empire residents.
“The grant allows us to expand our programming and other initiatives,” said Goretty Ornelas, director of the center. “Especially our Safe to Be in Action project, which helps us deliver messages to the Latino community, especially to those in need.”
Safe to Be in Action (Seguridad en Acción) is a free bilingual, theater-based program designed to teach families about various topics and issues—from bullying and boundaries to domestic violence and immigrant rights.
It’s an eclectic mix, overall, and the results have proven to be positive.
“The grant truly helps us open doors and create dialogue between parents and our youth,” Ornelas added. “The theatrical performances are about five to 10 minutes long, and they touch on a variety of topics, even something like digital safety.
“The funding helps us to pay for theater professionals, artists, and actors, and the staff that will help us put this together,” he added.
Galan Cultural Center has long been making strides in terms of community connection.
Programs offered are diverse. There’s Ballet Folklorico for all ages, and Folklorico Pequeñitos, for instance, which features traditional folkloric dance classes for children ages 2 to 5, stands out.
Ballet, jazz, and hip hop are also offered for various age groups.
Meanwhile, La Care Programs offer a broad mix of opportunities for the community to learn everything from healthy cooking and Zumba to participating in circuit training and other cardio activities. Health is a significant focus here.
Singing and other theatrical programs have been woven into this creative mix.
Elsewhere, a variety of events keep the nonprofit’s calendar full throughout the year. Collectively, all this reflects the dedication Galan has maintained since it officially became a nonprofit in 2021.
“We’ve actually been in the community for 30 years, before becoming a nonprofit,” Ornelas noted. “Our mission has been always to give the community access to the performing arts at a low cost or even free whenever funding is available.”
He says the organization has been expanding its programming since reaching nonprofit status, noting how having access to theater has become a great tool to educate the community and keep people informed.
“We encourage our community to participate in even more programming,” Ornelas said. “Whether that’s in areas around language or culture.”
He was quick to point out that there are always volunteer opportunities.
“We’re grateful for the volunteers we’ve had—students and college students—and we’re especially interested in volunteers for the Safe to Be in Action program,” he said. “Some of the positions we have aren’t completely volunteer because they will get paid, and we see that people put in a lot of time.
“We encourage the community to volunteer,” he added.
Learn more at galanculturalcenter.org.
This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, July 2026.
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