Student Contributor -N. Gutierrez
La Casa Hogar is a family that supports the community of Yakima. La Casa Hogar connects and educates Latino families, to transform lives in the Yakima Valley. La Casa envisions transforming divided neighborhoods into connected communities. This organization values children and Latino families by educating and providing them with the necessary resources to enhance their skills and achieve their professional and personal goals. La Casa Hogar prioritizes civic engagement and is actively involved in immigration rights coalitions, census work, local and statewide government and other community committees.
Above all, La casa Hogar is known for their civic engagement practices. This organization supports students in being actively involved in their community. The Casa Hogar primarily assists with voting registration, organizing voter education workshops, and facilitating discussion around local current events. This organization also gathers groups of students to attend places like the Capitol Theater, Yakima Symphony performances, Yakima Valley Museum, and local city council meetings. This organization has helped 1,000 adults become U.S. Citizens through their Citizen Education Programs. Adult education, preschool, citizenship education and legal services are La Casa’s core programs. They host many community events like celebrations to unite the community. They fund raise and accept donations to support those in need of resources in the Yakima Valley. La Casa Hogar incorporates celebrations, play and laughter into their way of living to combat oppression and fuel collective connection and strength.
Generally speaking, La Casa Hogar is always accepting volunteers. During each quarter, there are opportunities to volunteer with La Casa Hogar’s classes in the Adult Education, Early Learning, and Citizenship Education programs. La Casa also coordinates special events and has one-time volunteer opportunities for those interested in volunteering. If you have a specific project or set skills you’d like to volunteer with, contact Angelica@lacasahogar.org to learn more about current needs. La Casa Hogar is currently inviting people to volunteer for another milestone. In January 2020, La Casa Hogar will officially launch a fundraising campaign to demolish an old garage and build a NEW multi-use classroom space for La Escuelita. The Early Learning Center (“Escuelita”) serves under-resourced children ages 2-5, who would not otherwise have access to pre-school education. La Casa Hogar plans to raise construction and operational funds to continue providing safe and equitable early learning opportunities for the niños of our Yakima Valley.
