Welcome to our July, 2021 email newsletter!
Dear Amigos de Casa San José,
How to take action:
From Billy Reeves, Casa’s community organizer for civic and social engagement:
Please volunteer for our Voter Registration Drives and/or Get out the Vote Drives!
- Voter Registration drives will be in person in various locations, using an app on a tablet to register eligible people to vote. Get Out the Vote will appeal to registered voters by door knocking, calling and/or and texting. There will be training for all of this.
- Volunteers are needed from July through October – any amount of time is helpful! Please fill out this google survey to let me know what you are interested in. Thank you!
Support #DrivingPAForward!
Casa is part of this statewide coalition organizing to pass legislation HB-279 for a standard driver’s license for all regardless of immigration status. Please participate in this IOBY Fundraiser to make 2021 the year this dream will come true.
Support JUNTOS and other coalition members fighting to RELEASE AND NOT TRANSFER immigrant detainees currently in PA’s York County Prison. The prison has opted not to renew its contract with ICE, but when it shuts down, ICE will likely transfer these detainees far away from their families and legal support. Please read this letter from the PA legislators in the Welcoming PA Caucus protesting these transfers. You can help by contacting the Philadelphia ICE Office (215) 656-7164 (or other contacts here) to register your call for releasing and not transferring the detainees.
How you can help:
First, we send out MANY THANKS to the donors to this year’s Fiesta del Sol – over $40,000 was raised to support Casa’s many programs. You can revisit the Livestream here or click on the image above. But we hope that next year we will celebrate with you in person!
This Sunday, July 25th, the New Leaders Council held a successful Diaper Drive for Casa San Jose. More than 40 bags of diapers and baby wipes were donated. You can still help the many Latino families facing the difficult situation of choosing between buying food, paying rent, or buying diapers for their babies. Contact Monique Herrera, our Bilingual Navigator, at monique@casasanjose.org to make your donation.
News on what we’re doing:
Campamento Sonrisa, Casa’s hybrid summer camp for kids, is in full swing! It began on June 21 and will continue until mid-August. Our youth have been enjoying many activities, such as visiting the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, taking nature walks, learning about history of Latin America, going to the zoo and visiting the pool.
And thanks to a partnership with Cranberry Area Diversity Network, Casa San Jose is holding Campamento Alegría, three separate summer fun days for the children of the Cranberry Township Latinx community. Photo credits: Mariana Toledo.
Casa has launched a new office in Washington County! We celebrated our first Día Comunitario event there on 7/11 where everyone enjoyed the tamales, games and raffles, and could also get a vaccine on the side at our onsite clinic. If you know someone who needs assistance in Washington County, you can call 412-378-5485, Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm.
CSJ is part of the PA Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign! This is a group of diverse organizations who are working with the state’s DOH to motivate community members to become vaccinated, by providing accurate information and increasing awareness.
The PA Dept. of Health shares the following message: Many of us have friends and family who are hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccines. Or you might be hesitant yourself. And that’s ok. It’s normal to have questions about new things. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist. Or do your own research at PA.GOV/COVID or by calling the PA Department of Health Hotline at 1-877-724-3258. #PAAgainstCOVID #WeHaveThePowerPA
Update on Vaccination Efforts:Casa has been continuing to offer and support vaccination clinics in the 5-county area.
- So far, we have put shots in the arms of 2,700 residents! We have served people from: the US, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, Salvador, Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Ecuador.
- Thanks to the partnerships established with Allegheny County Health Department and Curative, we now have vaccination clinics every Tuesday and tests every Friday at our Beechview office. Testing and vaccines are free and no identification is needed.
In early July, 23 of our families, along with Casa volunteers and staff, enjoyed the Family Community Picnic, hosted by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden (which include Casa’s Sr. Janice, Sr. Karen, and Sr. Valerie) on the beautiful grounds of their Motherhouse. It was a perfect sunny day full of picnicking, live music, nature tours, soccer, relaxation, and fellowship. Sister Janice said “Dear God, we have so much to be grateful for.” This video tells the story.
Casa participated in the visit from the mobile Mexican Consulate on June 26-27, where community members from Mexico could obtain and update much-needed documents and get answers to their questions. Casa offered information there about its programs and services.
Muchas Felicitaciones to Casa’s ISAC Bilingual Navigator, Monique Herrera, for graduating from the Pittsburgh chapter of the New Leaders Council!
