Posada Esperanza
Posada Esperanza is the family shelter of Casa Marianella. We are a full-service transitional housing program for immigrant mothers and their children, escaping domestic or cultural violence. Occupying four homes in East Austin, we currently house 14 mothers and nearly 30 children!
Founded in 2003, the shelter began with one small house nestled in East Austin and has now expanded to four beautiful homes. At the time, founder Patti McCabe was a year-long volunteer through AmeriCorps with Casa Marianella when a family sought shelter with Casa, a place historically catered toward adults. McCabe saw the need for a family shelter in Austin to serve this doubly disenfranchised population, experiencing homelessness and recently immigrating to a new place. She dedicated her life to this work and still serves as Program Director.
Our purpose is to continue the mission of Casa Marianella, in providing the basic needs for homeless immigrants in Austin, while in a dignified setting that strives to build community. Posada Esperanza aims to create a nurturing and hospitable environment for families, while moms work toward self-sufficiency and empowerment – all the while, doing so in an environment that feels like home. The name, Posada Esperanza, roughly translates to “resting place of hope,” and as an organization, we work to provide just that: a place where families can rest, get back on their feet, feel at home and most importantly, begin to hope for their futures.
To achieve this goal, Posada Esperanza offers case management services to each mother, meeting weekly with a Family Advocate to set goals, navigate the confusing social service system and make an exit plan. Each child also works with our Child Advocate to build strong communication with their school and provide them with all the tools possible for success. We provide educational classes for our moms each weekday morning, covering English as a Second Language topics, as well as life skills, civics and healthy living. Posada also offers after school tutoring and homework help, as well as educational enrichment, crafts and activities to keep our children growing! Above all, we strive to have a lot of fun and revel in the joyous moments of community.
In 2015, we housed 97 total residents and 59 families — with 78 percent of families having “successful exits” as defined by H.U.D. (That represents 46 out of 59 families.)
Volunteering
Volunteers at Posada aren’t just an extra pair of hands—they’re the reason we’re able to support our residents so thoroughly. We’re always looking for volunteers to serve as tutors, homework helpers, appointment advocates, and up-for-anything-on-the-fly-helpers. If you’re interested in being part of our arsenal of volunteers and are energized by an environment where needs can change day-to-day (or minute-to-minute!), reach out us to us at posadaesperanza@casamarianella.org.
Donating to Posada Esperanza
If you’d like to make a donation to Posada, check out our Amazon Wish List or email us at posadaesperanza@casamarianella.org to learn about other items that would be most helpful to us at a given time.