Casa

Casa in Maryland - prince georges and montgomery counties:- naturalization: with support from americorps, Casa operated a comprehensive citizenship promotion programs in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, which includes citizenship education, mentoring and interview preparation, application assistance, and post-naturalization support. Through partnerships with credit unions, Casa provided microloans to assist citizenship and legalization applicants in affording application fees. Casa also provided legal assistance in obtaining various form of immigration relief.continued on schedule o.- financial education and assistance: Casa provided tax preparation, individual counseling, and workshops on financial literacy topics. Local banks visited Casa's centers to help members open accounts. Casa also provided driver's license education and assistance. In partnership with the irs, Casa also operated several volunteer income tax assistance (vita) clinics.- legal services: Casa provided "know your rights" legal education, advocacy, and representation to low-income immigrants on both civil and criminal law and engaged in impact litigation. Casa also provided rapid response when immigration raids or other crises occurred by assisting victims in securing legal representation and reuniting with their families. -health and human services: Casa provided comprehensive social service navigation and case management assistance as well as engaged community members with outreach and education in an effort to raise the level of health literacy in the community.

Politics & communication:- politics and communications: Casa implemented advocacy and communications strategies at the local, state, and national levels to advance measures identified as priorities by its membership, including its community organizing campaigns mentioned above. Casa also implemented nonpartisan voter registration and gotv campaigns in pennsylvania.continued on "schedule o".schools & education:- afterschool and leadership development programs: Casa operated mi espacio, an afterschool leadership and enrichment program for immigrant high school students as well as the escalera program of unidosus. - community schools: Casa partnered with prince georges county public schools to provide support to two international high schools and hosted a youth summer leadership program in langley park, md. Casa in baltimore:- Casa operated mi espacio, a school leadership and enrichment program for latino high school aged students in baltimore city, complemented by an "escalera" college access program. Casa also provided leadership development programming at the major esl schools in baltimore utilizing the spirit (student problem identification and resolution of issues together) model of the department of justice. Casa also provided cultural competency training for baltimore city teachers and administrators.- campaign for justice safety and jobs in baltimore: Casa staffed and participated in a coalition of national and local partners to address baltimore's systemic social, racial and economic injustices. A key focus of this work was combating structural racism in policing and other areas, and bringing african americans and latinos together to work for positive change in their communities. - social services and health care access: Casa provided general social services navigation assistance to members including providing covid-19 vaccination clinics for the community. Casa in Virginia:- economic justice organizing: Casa expanded its community organizing program in Virginia, building and cultivating a set of leaders and a volunteer structure that worked on campaigns in Virginia for driver's license access for immigrants, and for an increased minimum wage. - social services and health care access: Casa provided general social services navigation assistance to members as well as assistance in enrolling in kaiser permanente's chap health insurance program for those who qualify. - naturalization: with support from americorps, Casa operated a comprehensive citizenship promotion program, which includes citizenship education, mentoring and interview preparation, application assistance, and post-naturalization support. Through partnerships with credit unions, Casa provided microloans to assist citizenship and legalization applicants in affording application fees. Casa also provided legal assistance in obtaining various form of immigration relief.- financial education and assistance: Casa provided tax preparation, individual counseling, and workshops on financial literacy topics. Local banks visited Casa's centers to help members open accounts. Casa also provided driver's license education and assistance. In partnership with the irs, Casa also operated several volunteer income tax assistance (vita) clinics.casa in Pennsylvania:- economic justice organizing: Casa expanded its community organizing program in Pennsylvania, building and cultivating a set of leaders and a volunteer structure that worked on campaigns in climate change, immigration, and for an increased minimum wage. - naturalization: with support from americorps, Casa operated a comprehensive citizenship promotion program, which includes citizenship education, mentoring and interview preparation, application assistance, and post-naturalization support. Through partnerships with credit unions, Casa provided microloans to assist citizenship and legalization applicants in affording application fees. Casa also provided legal assistance in obtaining various form of immigration relief.- financial education and assistance: Casa provided tax preparation, individual counseling, and workshops on financial literacy topics. In partnership with the irs, Casa also operated several volunteer income tax assistance (vita) clinics.lobbying:casa conducts lobbying within the limits of its 501(h) designation at the local, state, and federal level on legislative issues that improve the quality of life of its constituents. Legislative and policy priorities included the following measures, at the local, state, and federal level: increasing minimum wage, passing the trust act and/or preventing police-ice collaboration, improving education access for immigrant youth, expanding immigrant access to driver's licenses, opposing anti-immigrant bills, zoning and policy changes on community development issues, tenant housing rights, and comprehensive immigration reform. Casa provided testimony, written and oral, for many bills affecting its constituency, and also conducted direct lobby visits and public actions.

Community economic development:- workforce development and vocational training: Casa connected workers with employers seeking short-term help and delivered placement services for full-time employment; partnered with local community colleges to offer a range of vocational training courses.