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HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH 2010 - UPCOMING EVENTS
Casa Central celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with three special events.
First up is “Fajitas and Greens & All in Betweens” with five of the funniest standup comedians in town. The show is produced by Mike Oquendo Events ("Mikey O") as part of his “Hecho en Chicago” series, and it takes a hilarious look at diversity. Tickets are $20 with all proceeds to benefit Casa Central. The show runs for two nights, Sept. 24 and 25, at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, 777 N. Green Street, and tickets are now available for either night.
On September 30th, Casa Central presents its own Talent Showcase, dedicated to the Bicentennial of Mexico’s Independence. The show features participants from Casa Central’s programs and a recital from the Humboldt Park Neighborhood Choir, a branch of the Chicago Children’s Choir. The Talent Showcase will be held at 5 p.m. on the 30th, at Casa Central’s Bitia Alfonso Auditorium, 1335 N. California Avenue.
Several area restaurants, including Café Bolero and 90 Miles Café, have agreed to donate a percentage of their receipts for a day during Hispanic Heritage Month. Coupons for some restaurants will be available soon at www.casacentral.org.
For the latest information about Hispanic Heritage Month at Casa Central, Call Frank Diaz at (773) 645-2322. You may also re-visit this website page; Casa Central Chicago on Facebook; @casacentral on Twitter, or send an e-mail to info@casacentral.org.
Save The Date for Our Annual Awards Dinner
Casa Central's Annual Awards Dinner is set for Thursday, October 28th at the Westin River North Hotel, 320 N. Dearborn Street in Chicago.
This year's dinner theme is "Inspiring Lifelong Learning," in recognition of the organization's longtime commitment to education at any age. Ron Huberman, Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools, will be honored with the Community Builder Award. The Corporate Partner Award will be presented to the Boeing Company. The Rev. John Buchanan, Pastor of the Fourth Presbyterian Church, will receive the Faith in Action Award.
This year's dinner theme is "Inspiring Lifelong Learning," in recognition of the organization's longtime commitment to education at any age. Ron Huberman, Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools, will be honored with the Community Builder Award. The Corporate Partner Award will be presented to the Boeing Company. The Rev. John Buchanan, Pastor of the Fourth Presbyterian Church, will receive the Faith in Action Award.
For more information about the Annual Dinner, contact Lorena Alonso, Director of Resource Development, at (773) 645-2476.
Teens Unveil "Painting Peace," Mural and Art Exhibit
While youth-and-violence headlines dominate the day’s news, teen muralists from the after school program at Casa Central unveiled new works of art based on their vision of a violence-free environment.
On Friday, August 13th, the teens from Youth Options Unlimited (Y.O.U.) presented “Painting Peace,” which featured a three-panel mural depicting violent and peaceful scenes, based on the students’ perspective.
Twenty participants in the after school program, from several area middle schools and high schools, worked together on "Painting Peace.” They also created individual artwork related to the same theme. The young muralists attend Y.O.U. at Casa Central each weekday.
According to Omar Van Opstal, the Y.O.U. staff member supervising the project, the students learned how to manage a very complicated subject – the family’s influence on a person’s behavior – while also learning the artistic technique behind painting.
“This group’s effort proves that youth can really do anything they set their sights on doing, especially when it’s productive and it makes such a strong statement,” said Ann R. Alvarez, President and CEO of Casa Central, at the unveiling.
Y.O.U. helps youth develop and maintain healthy lifestyles by engaging them in constructive activities during after-school and summer hours. To counteract negative influences in the community, Y.O.U. focuses on educational support, practical skills, and creativity as positive alternatives to inner-city violence.
The Y.O.U. program is made possible by generous contributions from Target, Cubs Care, ComEd, The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council (a state agency), After School Matters, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, and the Illinois Department of Human Services, among others.
Our Week of Hope Campaign: May 30-June 6
For over 25 years, Casa Central has highlighted its programs and raised funds through its annual Telethon. This year, we are excited to have presented our new multi-media campaign, “The Week of Hope/La Semana de La Esperanza” in which we dedicated an entire week to highlighting our programs, participants and sponsors through radio, print, television and digital media.
From May 30th to June 6th, Casa Central and several media partners presented stories of hope from among our thousands of clients. Telemundo Chicago Channel 44 supported our pledge drive, but instead of holding a single-day Telethon, our different media sponsors highlighted Casa Central’s programs throughout the week.
La Pagina de La Esperanza was published in Hoy Newspaper for four editions, while our radio partner La Ley 107.9 FM featured our programs and encouraged their audience to support Casa Central. Café Magazine also promoted the campaign through its “Cafecito” e-magazine. Daily e-blasts from Casa Central highlighted “Stories of Hope” during the week.
The week-long campaign peaked with a special half-hour show on Channel 44. "Casa Central: A Miracle of Love" was broadcast on Sunday, June 6th from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. During this program, viewers learned more about our programs, heard compelling stories of hope, and called in to pledge their support. Right before the special show, Telemundo aired a movie and dedicated all commercial breaks to Casa Central’s pledge drive.
"Even in these difficult economic times, our Casa Central family came through so we can continue helping those who need help the most," said Ann Alvarez, President and CEO of Casa Central. "We appreciate all those who donated, from employees and board members to businesses and telethon viewers."
Casa Central thanks our many donors and supporters, including Bank of America, El Milagro Inc., La Preferida Foods, Hispanic Housing Development Corp., Harris Bank, Goya Foods, and Xerox Capital Services, for their valuable support.
For further information, please contact Lorena Alonso, Director of Resource Development at (773) 645-2476.
Pre-School Prep and Child Care, Both at Casa Central
Enrollment remains open now at Casa Central for pre-school kids to get ready for their school-age experience. Casa Central offers its “Head Start” program at its Community Service Center. Boys and girls ages 2 through 5 receive schooling, two meals a day and lots of attention from childcare professionals. Parents must be employed or in school and eligible for state childcare subsidies. For more information, call the Community Service Center at Casa Central, at (773) 645-2457, or visit the Child Development page on this site.
Enrollment is also open at Casa Infantil, another "Head Start" program offered by Casa Central in Palmer Square. Casa Infantil is open five days a week and provides early learning, a developmental assessment, field trips and family support activities. Call Casa Infantil at (773)772-1170 and ask for information.
Electric Company Comes to Casa Central to Help Bill-Payers
Casa Central hosted the Second Annual Energy Fair by ComEd, in which customers who are having problems paying their electric bills met with customer service representatives from ComEd and established a relief plan.
The one-day session on March 1st was well-attended and included welcoming remarks by Ann Alvarez, President and CEO of Casa Central; 26th Ward Ald. Roberto Maldonado; State Sen. Willie Delgado; State Rep. Cynthia Soto, and Fidel Marquez, Vice-President of ComEd.
Customers who are having problems paying their electric bills are encouraged to visit www.ComEd.com for information, attend an assistance fair or call 1-888-806-CARE (2273) to speak to a customer service representative who can provide assistance and payment options.
Make Your Search Worthwhile
What if Casa Central earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can! Casa Central is now a registered charity on the GoodSearch.com and GoodShop.com websites, and helping us earn a little extra money is as easy as browsing the internet or making an online purchase from your favorite stores.
GoodSearch.com is a new search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!
GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop, and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.
Just go to www.goodsearch.com for complete details on this simple fundraising service, and make sure to enter Casa Central as the charity you want to support. Don’t forget to spread the word!
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