CHANGING LIVES …
ONE FAMILY AT A TIME
In 2003, Sister Mary Rita Rohde, a Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) of the U.S.-Ontario Province, founded Nuestra Casa.
She conducted in-depth interviews with 80 people to determine the greatest unmet needs among low income women and children in the Lower Yakima Valley. The results of the interviews indicated that the greatest needs were those of the immigrant Hispanic population, particularly the women.
Through Sister’s dedication and perseverance, Nuestra Casa quickly became known as a place where women could find resources, educational services, support and empowerment. To date, Nuestra Casa annually assists over 1,000 immigrant adults through classes, workshops, and referral services.
Mission
Through education, advocacy and mutual support, Nuestra Casa empowers immigrants to create positive changes, enriching themselves, their families and their communities.
Meet the Team
Caty Padilla, Executive Director
Caty is the daughter of immigrants who settled in the Lower Yakima Valley in 1990. She was raised like many farm worker’s children, migrating along the Yakima River throughout the valley as her parents looked for new job opportunities. Caty attended schools in the Toppenish, Granger and Wapato school districts. After graduating in 2007 she landed a full-time job that allowed her the flexibility she needed to enroll at Heritage University.
At Heritage University Caty participated in Enactus (formerly known as SIFE) and majored in Business Administration. During her participation with Enactus, she really connected with the ideal that one could give back to the community by leading with a mindset for business but a heart for the world. Shortly before graduating in 2017, she accepted the role as Executive Director for Nuestra Casa. Caty looks forward to helping immigrant women in the community prosper and obtain learning opportunities empowering them to battle the inequities in our communities.
Monica Romero, Citizenship Program Manager
Monica is the daughter of immigrant parents, who settled in the Lower Yakima Valley in 2003. Monica attended Sunnyside High School, graduating with honors and obtaining a full ride Act Six scholarship to Heritage University. She obtained her U.S. Citizenship in July 2019 and will be graduating from Heritage in May 2020, with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Monica cares deeply about human rights and finding ways to leverage her community.
At Heritage University Monica participated in Camp S.E.E.D as well as Act Six where she was involved in health and educational community events. She was a preschool teacher at the Heritage University Early Learning Center, where she gained teaching skills and worked efficiently with different levels of learning. Prior to joining the Nuestra Casa team Monica volunteered in the citizenship preparation classes at Nuestra Casa. She quickly fell in love with how unified the staff at Nuestra Casa is, as well as focused on the mission of delivering support and assistance to the immigrant community. Monica joined the team in November 2019 as Nuestra Casa’s Community Liaison and looks forward to helping immigrants in the community prosper and obtain learning opportunities.
Marlene Paez, Citizenship Program Assistant
Isabel Espinosa, Early Learning Instructor
Mi nombre es Isabel Espinosa, me encargo del aprendizaje para los niños y niñas de padres que asisten a las clases y talleres en Nuestra Casa. Nuestra casa empodera a los inmigrantes a crear cambios positivos en sí mismo y sus familias. Por varios años yo pude superarme aquí en Nuestra Casa con sus programas para aprender gracias al cuidado de niños que ofrecían durante los programas. Los talleres que más me ayudaron fueron los de verano que se enfocan en actividades para padres e hijos. Se la importancia de que las familias se sientan apoyadas con recursos. Aparte de impartir aprendizaje a los niños también ayude a familias a obtener Paid Family Leave dándoles la oportunidad de crear vínculos con sus recién nacidos. Valoro la unión familiar y me complace poder proveer la oportunidad de mejorarse a través del cuidado de sus hijos. Me motiva el contribuir en su desarrollo lo cual les ayudará a integrarse a la comunidad.
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My name is Isabel Espinosa, and I provide learning activities for the children of parents attending classes and workshops at Nuestra Casa. Nuestra Casa empowers immigrants to create positive changes in themselves and their families. For several years, I was able to overcome challenges here at Nuestra Casa through their programs, thanks to the childcare they provided during the sessions. The workshops that helped me the most were the summer ones focused on activities for parents and children. I understand the importance of families feeling supported with resources. In addition to teaching children, I also helped families access Paid Family Leave, giving them the opportunity to bond with their newborns. I value family unity and am pleased to provide other immigrants the opportunity for self-improvement through the care of their children. I am motivated to contribute to their development, which will help them integrate into the community.
Karla Ruelas, Operations Manager
Guadalupe Rodriquez, Family Wellness Coordinator
Ariana Vargas, Citizenship Program Secretary
Gladys Castro, Citizenship Program Assistant
Claudia Vera, Receptionist / Programs Assistant
Soy Claudia Vera y soy recepcionista y asistente de programas en Nuestra Casa. Yo imparto la clase de computación, y apoyo a la comunidad educando e informándoles cómo crear cambios en sí mismos. Yo comencé en Nuestra Casa como estudiante de inglés y ciudadanía. Me satisface apoyar a la comunidad, creando lazos de confianza ya que como inmigrante entiendo lo difícil que es emigrar a un nuevo país donde no hablan su idioma, y todo es nuevo para ellos. Yo me esfuerzo en hacer sentir a nuestros participantes como en casa ofreciéndoles la armonía y apoyo que necesitan cuando se sienten sin esperanza. Me empeño en tener recursos y contactos para cualquier pregunta que tengan nuestros participantes. Les invito a pasar y preguntar como Nuestra Casa les puede ayudar a cumplir sus metas como a mi me ayudaron.
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I am Claudia Vera, and I serve as the receptionist and program assistant at Nuestra Casa. I teach the computer class and support the community by educating and informing them about creating positive changes in themselves. I started at Nuestra Casa as a student in English and citizenship classes. It brings me satisfaction to support the community, building trust as an immigrant who understands the challenges of moving to a new country where they don’t speak the language, and everything is new to them. I strive to make our participants feel at home by providing the harmony and support they need when they feel hopeless. I work hard to have resources and contacts for any questions our participants may have. I invite you to come by and ask how Nuestra Casa can help you achieve your goals, just as it helped me.
Marisol Bazan, Civic Engagement Coordinator
Soy Marisol Bazan inmigrante de México, con más de 20 años viviendo en este país. Tengo 3 hijos con necesidades especiales; mis retos han sido el tener que aprender lenguaje de señas, inglés y navegar por el sistema médico. A pesar de los retos no me ha impedido complir mis metas como la de obtener mi GED. En mi participación con el equipo de Nuestra Casa de alcance comunitario he compartido información a la comunidad sobre recursos para familias y las oportunidades en Nuestra Casa. Actualmente mi enfoque ha sido motivar y educar a nuestra comunidad sobre la importancia del voto y el tener representación política. Poco a poco estamos viendo crecer el número de votantes en el valle bajo. Mi meta es que todas las familias sean bienvenidas en nuestra comunidad y que se sientan escuchadas. Entiendo que pueda parecer difícil encontrar recursos pero aquí les ayudamos a empoderarse y educarse sobre temas que les beneficiaría a su familia.
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I am Marisol Bazan, an immigrant from Mexico, with over 20 years living in the United States. I have 3 children with special needs. My challenges have included learning sign language, English, and navigating the healthcare system. Despite these obstacles, they have not prevented me from achieving my goals, such as obtaining my GED.
In my involvement with the Nuestra Casa community outreach team, I have shared information about resources for families and opportunities at Nuestra Casa. Currently, my focus has been on motivating and educating our community about the importance of voting and having political representation. Gradually, we are seeing the number of voters grow in the Lower Valley. My goal is for all families to feel welcome in our community and to be heard. I understand that finding resources may seem difficult, but at Nuestra Casa, we can help you feel empowered and provide you with education on topics that could benefit your family.
Guillermina Padilla, Outreach Coordinator
Soy Guillermina Padilla de Grandview y formó parte del equipo de alcance comunitario. Como inmigrante me ha tocado aprender no nomas inglés sino también como el sistema en estados unidos funciona. Hace años completé mi meta de obtener mi GED, lo cual fue un logro para mi. Y ahora me enorgullece poder compartir lo que sé con otras personas inmigrantes, en especial con mamás encabezando familias. Recientemente pude asistir a inmigrantes en completar su aplicación para recibir fondos de asistencia debido al coronavirus para inmigrantes de Washington, al igual que el Working Family Tax credit y Paid Family Leave. Poder compartir sobre la existencia de estos recursos con la comunidad me hace sentir realizada.Disfruto conectar con los participantes y escuchar sobre sus metas y sueños. Poder conectarlos con recursos que yo también he utilizado les da esperanza.
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I am Guillermina Padilla from Grandview, and I am part of the community outreach team. As an immigrant, I have had to learn not only English but also how the system works in the United States. Years ago, I achieved my goal of obtaining my GED, which was a significant accomplishment for me.
Now, I take pride in being able to share what I know with other immigrants, especially with moms leading their families. Recently, I assisted immigrants in completing their application for the Washington Immigrant Relief Fund, as well as the Working Family Tax credit and Paid Family Leave. Being able to share information about these resources with the community makes me feel fulfilled. I enjoy connecting with participants and hearing about their goals and dreams. Providing them with resources that I have also used gives them hope.
Nalley Rodriguez,
Board of Directors
History
Origins
In 2002, Sister Mary Rita Rohde returned to Sunnyside from her 5-year term of leadership for the Sisters of the Holy Names in Montreal, QC, Canada. Because she was granted a few month’s sabbatical, she began a discernment process to determine what her next ministry would be. S. Mary Rita interviewed 80 people individually and in small groups who worked with low-income people in the Lower Yakima Valley, asking the question, “What is the greatest unmet need among low-income women and children in the Lower Yakima Valley (Sunnyside, Grandview, Mabton, Granger)?” The data from these interviews were shared with other Sisters of the Holy Names in the Valley and together they prayed and discerned that the persons most in need were immigrant women. The Sisters suggested that S. Mary Rita start an educational ministry for immigrant women. That led to the founding of Nuestra Casa as a 501(c)3 non-profit.
The Leadership Team of the Sisters of the Holy Names in Washington approved this new ministry and granted the money needed for the first year’s activities, as well as half of the funding needed for the second year. A Board of Directors and a Development Committee were established.
A Mission Statement was drawn up and approved, and planning began for the first program offerings which happened in January 2003.
Our First Home
At that time the Pastor of the Sunnyside Catholic Church generously offered to let Nuestra Casa occupy the house next to the former St. Joseph’s School and to let us use the school’s unoccupied classrooms for our classes.
Early ESL Programs
Sr. Mary Rita teaching English
From the beginning we did not want to duplicate services that were offered by other agencies or logically should be offered by other agencies. We also sought out agencies and organizations with whom we could collaborate. Early meetings with the President of Yakima Valley Community College and with the Superintendent of the Sunnyside School District resulted in those two agencies collaborating to offer English as a Second Language classes for adults. The college provided the teachers and the school district provided the space and childcare.
Nuestra Casa staff helped recruit participants and closely followed the program to be sure that the immigrants were attending classes and learning English. Because so many immigrants stopped attending those classes they were ended by the college and school district. Then, we asked local churches to consider offering evening ESL classes taught by volunteers in their churches. Such classes were held at the Sunnyside United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, Seventh Day Adventist Church and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. At about the same time Nuestra Casa began offering morning ESL classes and established a Montessori style pre-school for the preschoolers of women who attended our classes at the old St. Joseph’s school.
Driver’s License Classes
We learned early that many adult immigrants did not have driver’s licenses, so we collaborated with a police officer from Mabton to offer evening driver’s license classes in Spanish. Since there is no public transportation in the Lower Yakima Valley, until we offered these classes hundreds of immigrants were driving without licenses. After a few years, the Mabton police officer could no longer teach these classes for us so we collaborated with the Sunnyside Police department to teach the classes at Nuestra Casa.
Health Concerns
Nutrition Classes
Health was another area of concern for immigrant women. We collaborated with the Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic in Toppenish through which they paid doctors to come to Nuestra Casa in Sunnyside to offer workshops on specific topics such as cancer. Later, we collaborated with the Farmworkers Clinic to offer parenting classes about child development to immigrant parents. Other health related offerings included diabetes testing and education given by a volunteer nurse; exercise classes led by a volunteer; nutrition and cooking classes offered by various volunteers, including cooking classes held at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church.
Women’s Justice Circles
Justice Circle
For several years we collaborated with the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center in Seattle in facilitating “Women’s Justice Circles”. The very detailed materials for facilitating these Circles were in Spanish so the process led to some significant learning by immigrant women. Dozens of women participated in these Circles which taught them how to advocate for themselves, for their families, and for their community. One significant issue that immigrant women chose to work on was eliminating the state’s WASL exam which their children had to take and which they noted made some of their children physically sick because of worrying about the test. Their action included meeting with the Sunnyside School District Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent, the Sunnyside School Board, State Representatives in Olympia and the State Superintendent of Schools. This action by local immigrant women, in concert with other groups in the State, led to the replacement of the WASL with a much shorter and less stressful state test.
Citizenship Classes
Because so many immigrants had a difficult time with the whole process of becoming a citizen, Nuestra Casa began offering Citizenship classes taught by a volunteer who also helped with the citizenship application process. Eventually, we hired a teacher for the citizenship classes because of the great need.
Five-Year Anniversary Celebration
In 2008, Nuestra Casa celebrated our fifth year of serving immigrants with a special dinner at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church. In attendance were Nuestra Casa Board members, Development Committee members, staff, and donors.
Learning to Arrange Flowers
Referral Services
Because so many immigrant adults did not know about services and systems in the Valley, Nuestra Casa took up the task of learning about resources and sharing that with participants. That has led to a steady stream of adults coming to Nuestra Casa for various referral services.
Ten-Year Anniversary Celebration
Our 10th year of serving immigrants was celebrated with a special dinner at the Sunnyside Presbyterian Church in 2013. This festive occasion brought together Nuestra Casa participants, donors, Board and committee members, staff, and several Sisters who have supported Nuestra Casa. Special “Gracias Awards” were presented to Dick and Barbara Golob for their generous financial support and for Dick’s service as a Board member, to Holy Names Sisters Ann Pizelo and Linda Riggers for the Sisters financial support to establish Nuestra Casa, and to Dominican Sister Judy Byron for her service on our Board and for the Adrian Dominican financial support.
New Director
In 2012, Sister Mary Rita thought it was time to end her tenure as the Director of Nuestra Casa, but to continue teaching English. Esperanza Lemos was hired to be Assistant Director for several months and then moved into being the Executive Director in 2013. During this time a contract was made with the Sunnyside School District for Nuestra Casa to teach evening ESL classes in one of the local schools. Because of Nuestra Casa’s success at engaging and teaching immigrant adults, those evening classes continue at Nuestra Casa with the support of the School District.
Sunnyside United Methodist Church
New Home at Sunnyside United Methodist Church
In 2015, Nuestra Casa moved to the Sunnyside United Methodist Church and occupied the whole second floor of the educational wing of the church. This new space fit our needs very well with one classroom set up as a Montessori preschool, one classroom as an office for the three staff and volunteers, and space that is flexible enough to make five classrooms or two large rooms.
Cultivating Partnerships
We are proud that Nuestra Casa has become a household name in our tight-knit communities. However, this does not mean our job is done. We are always striving to find new ways and partners to help support our efforts in educating the immigrant community.
Many community members, individuals, organizations and businesses have stepped forward to partner with Nuestra Casa. Assisting and participating with us in different types of events has helped us become attuned to the ever-changing needs of our community.
So, next time you see us at an event, stop by and chat. We’d love to listen to you.