This holiday season, the Statesman published an article speaking about one of our beloved former Casa families: Deogratias Niyongabo, 38, his wife, Françoise Irankunda, 39, and their two daughters, Esther, 5, and Brianna, 3, from Burundi. Deogratis and Françoise, who moved into their own apartment with their children after leaving Casa Marianella, were gifted new, [...]
Casa Marianella has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. A word from our Co-Executive Directors, Jennifer Long and Patti McCabe: “With your help, we continue to be one of the few shelters serving asylum seekers in the US. There is a huge need for more capacity. A year ago we announced our [...]
I turn onto Gunter street, enveloped by the stifling heat of Austin in August. I couldn’t tell you if I’m sweating from the heat or because I’m nervous for my first day serving at Casa Marianella. Despite my attempts to arrive with a completely open mind, I repeatedly ask myself, “Will I be able to [...]
When I started my internship at Casa Marianella I did not know what to expect. My professional background is in cooking and working in restaurants, that was my first career. But at the ripe old age of 35 I decided to finish my degree in Mexican American Studies, with the hopes of continuing on to [...]
“If music be the food of love, play on!” -William Shakespeare While the term ‘convivio’ is generally understood to mean ‘banquet’ or ‘feast,’ its Spanish roots bring us a little closer to understanding what Casa Marianella is going for with each month’s convivio celebration. Taken from the verb convivir—which translates to ‘live together’—our convivio is [...]