New Posada Community Center Coming in 2025
Posada Esperanza is the family shelter of Casa Marianella. Founded in 2003, Posada Esperanza is a full-service transitional housing program for immigrant mothers and their children, escaping domestic or cultural violence. There are currently three shelters at Posada Esperanza and with your help, we are hoping to build our fourth, expanded community center which would include education and community areas as well as a family garden!
Posada Esperanza are planning for the build of the community center on an open lot that we have owned ever since we bought our third house 12 years ago. The house that we are planning would primarily be a community and education space (open floor plan on the first floor to accommodate homework tutoring, ESL class, game time for kids, holiday parties) and space for one or two families to live (upstairs finished attic with a kitchenette, full bath, separate entrance, and large room for beds).
LowDO, FORGE Landscape Architecture and Fort Structures are designing the community center. We are so thankful for their incredible support. LowDO has worked inclusively with Casa staff and residents to design the new building, beginning with a series of on-site engagement workshops in which visual cards and translators helped facilitate conversations between the design team and residents about their experiences and priorities. This participatory process has informed the development of all aspects of the design.
Throughout, the design weaves multi-cultural sensibilities through spaces and materials, aiming to create a cost-effective building that over time will represent “home” for diverse groups of women and children. Large shady overhangs, semi-conditioned spaces, and climate-resilient plantings all contribute to the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the project.
We’re aiming for a goal of $200,000 raised to help make this new community center possible and the best it can be for our kiddos and moms. Your contributions to our new community center are greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support!