Casa Central is joining the 13th Annual “Wrigley Start Early Run,” a one-mile, 5K and 10K run-or-walk along Chicago’s Grant Park. The event will be held Saturday morning, April 10, 2010, starting at Grant Park’s Upper Hutchinson Field at Columbus Drive and Balbo Street.

A CASA CENTRAL TEAM is being formed now, with part of the proceeds from the runners’ pledges supporting Casa Central’s programs and services. The race course will follow lakefront and Museum Campus paths, stretching from the Chicago River at the north end to Soldier Field (for those participating in the 10K). The one-mile walk will take participants over to Michigan Avenue and through Grant Park paths. Medals will be awarded to winners in the 5K and 10K runs.

To support the CASA CENTRAL TEAM with a pledge, visit www.firstgiving.com/CASACENTRAL. For further information about joining the team, call (773) 645-2300 to speak to either Rebecca González (rgonzalez@casacentral.org) or David Escontrias (descontrias@casacentral.org). Race participants can pre-register at Casa Central, 1343 N. California Avenue in Chicago, or by visiting www.startearlyrun.com and registering as a team member of the CASA CENTRAL TEAM. In-person registration is open through April 2nd, while online registration is open through noon on April 7.

Casa Central is a first-time beneficiary of the Run, as it becomes a partner with Prevent Child Abuse America and Voices for Illinois Children together with the event’s title sponsor, the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Now in its 13th year, the Run has generated nearly $1 million for child abuse prevention efforts in Illinois and across the nation since its inception.

La Posada, Casa Central's interim housing program for homeless families, celebrated its 20th anniversary with a dinner-dance on Friday, February 19th at the Humboldt Park Field House, 1400 North Sacramento Boulevard in Chicago.

Hundreds of supporters and friends of La Posada attended the landmark event for one of Casa Central’s long-standing social services.

"We're all very proud of the accomplishments of our housing program, which has helped over 1,000 families for two decades," said Ann R. Alvarez, President and CEO of Casa Central. "The staff and supporters of La Posada deserve to celebrate this anniversary."

Dinner guests were treated to a delicious three-course buffet from 90 Miles Cuban Cafe, while star DJ John San Juan provided a variety of dance music for all tastes. Ten guests left the party with lovely raffle prizes.

Opening its doors to the underserved homeless and Spanish speaking families of all sizes, La Posada strives to assist families in moving from homelessness to permanent housing, as it has done since 1989.

La Posada is made unique by the comprehensive network of supportive services it offers, a factor which ensures maximum participation and a high success rate. The program provides childcare, transportation, food, clothing and emergency cash. Supportive services include life skills education, family literacy, counseling, nutrition education, and financial management to help families regain and sustain self-sufficiency.

Several outstanding civic leaders were lauded for their contributions to the community at “Generations of Change,” Casa Central’s Annual Awards Dinner, on Thursday November 19th at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel.

This year Casa Central presented the Corporate Partner Award to Jewel-Osco, and the company’s President, Keith Nielsen, accepted on behalf of Jewel-Osco. Jami Guthrie, Vice-President of Global Integrated Marketing for the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, accepted the Community Builder Award on behalf of Wrigley Co. The Faith-in-Action Award was presented to North Park University and to its President, David Parkyn.

The Dinner was co-chaired by Ron Gidwitz, Partner, GCG Partners, and Thomas J. Wilson, Chairman, President and CEO of Allstate Insurance Company. Alex Perez, reporter for NBC 5 News on WMAQ-TV, served as Master of Ceremonies.

Boxes of Casa Central Christmas Cards were on sale at the dinner, with proceeds going to our School Age (after-school) Program. The cards feature original artwork from program participants.

One of the evening’s highlights was the speech presented by Edwin Vega, a 13-year-old participant in our Youth Options Unlimited (YOU) program. Vega compared the pleasant and comfortable experience he’s enjoyed at Casa Central with other after-school programs.

Participants from our School Age Program for elementary schoolchildren performed two traditional dance numbers from Colombia and Mexico.

With a special emphasis placed on the needs of Hispanics, Casa Central fulfills its mission to “transform lives and strengthen communities.” It responds to the needs of the entire family in order to develop vital and stable families and communities.

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.

The agency observed Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 16) with the help of two local restaurants and a popular comic.

Throughout the four-week celebration, Mexique Restaurant donated a portion of its receipts to Casa Central. Visit www.mexiquechicago.com to learn more about this exciting new dining experience.

On Friday, Oct. 16th, stand-up comic sensation Elizardi Castro brought his original one-man show, "Made in Puerto Rico," to the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, 777 North Green Street. The show is a Mikey O Production, and all proceeds from the near-sellout performance went to Casa Central.

The agency also accepted a percentage of the day's receipts on Sept. 16th as a donation from 90 Miles Cuban Cafe at 2540 W. Armitage and 3101 North Clybourn.

Casa Central’s 27th Annual Telethon brought over $100,000 to the non-profit organization’s coffers, according to Casa Central leaders. The Telethon was broadcast on Channel 44/Telemundo Chicago on Sunday, April 26th.

“Given the difficult economic conditions we’re facing nowadays, we consider this effort an incredible success,” said Ann R. Alvarez, President and CEO of Casa Central. Alvarez noted that the pledge drive is open until June 30th for overdue pledges and new donations alike. For information, call (773) 645-2476.

The Telethon is a Casa Central tradition and a critical source of funding for the 54-year-old non-profit. All proceeds from the Telethon support the agency’s comprehensive set of programs serving the most disadvantaged members of the Hispanic community.

The four-hour broadcast included the Telemundo Movie of The Week, with live appeals to the audience instead of commercial breaks. During those segments, representatives from dozens of Chicago area companies presented their donations. The event was hosted by Rev. Daniel Alvarez, founder of Casa Central, and Ann Alvarez.

Channel 44 news reporters Alfonso Gutiérrez and Sandra Torres co-hosted from the station’s studio and from Casa Central. In coordination with the Telethon, Hoy newspaper sponsored "La Página de La Esperanza" (The Page of Hope), a display ad featuring a list of 35 Telethon donors.

The “Page of Hope” appeared in several editions of Hoy prior to the Telethon, beginning April 16th. The space offers visibility to small and large businesses that support the televised event, such as National City, Bank of America, Hispanic Housing Development Corp., and Goya Foods, among other firms.

Each year, Casa Central reaches over 20,000 people from throughout Chicago without restriction or regard for race, religion, gender, ability to pay, or ethnicity. Its unique bilingual/bicultural approach and locations make the agency's 25 social service programs most convenient and valuable to many Hispanic families. Casa Central's programs build an important bridge to help Hispanics overcome these barriers and make positive contributions to their families and communities.

Casa Central and National City became partners in a novel fundraiser: the Every Penny Counts Campaign, in which participants collect their spare change to benefit Casa Central’s programs.

Casa Central and Telemundo Ch. 44 hosted the 27th Annual Telethon this spring, and National City matched whatever amount raised as part of the Every Penny Counts Campaign. Over 1,000 coin containers shaped as houses circulated throughout Chicagoland via employees and friends of Casa Central.

Nine neighborhood bank branches of National City accepted the coin containers through the duration of the campaign.

Employees and others were asked to get friends, parents, relatives and even kids involved in this easy fundraiser that impacts our community and is needed now more than ever. Let’s hope they didn’t forget to look under sofa cushions… they may even find a dollar or two!

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!