La Casa 40th Anniversary

In 1972, as the dust of the riots settled and Newark's rebirth was under way, a group of concerned Newark Puerto Rican families made a decision that would make a long lasting impact in Newark. They founded La Casa de Don Pedro as a means to foster self-sufficiency and empowerment for an often overlooked community.

La Casa de Don Pedro offers more than 30 programs in three main focus areas: Youth, Family & Health, Adult Development, and Community Programs. Programs range from parenting, early childhood education, youth programs, adult education, financial literacy, home energy assistance & weatherization, to housing & foreclosure prevention counseling and affordable housing development. Services promote family well-being, healthy child development, educational achievement, social justice, employment opportunities, home ownership, financial self-sufficiency, energy conservation, and neighborhood renewal.

La Casa de Don Pedro created a Bilingual-Bi-Cultural Day Care which was the first one in the city, if not the state. Under the Abbott Supreme Court Mandate, La Casa transitioned from day care to professional early childhood education and today has three separate early childhood centers with 255 Pre K children, and even supports a full-service kitchen that serves this population as well as other children and adults in other programs.

La Casa also helps residents receiving welfare educate themselves to find job opportunities and ultimately achieve greater self-sufficiency. They have recently extended their work to include residents experiencing re-entry from incarceration.

La Casa has been in the forefront of community planning, community building and community development work since its inception. Working closely with community stakeholders, it has developed a community plan for the Lower Broadway neighborhood and recently completed a "Quality of Life Plan" that expands the physical revitalization into social and cultural arenas. In La Casa development work it has moved from lending its name to residential projects to internally managing the entire development process for residential and economic development with affiliate companies for its development and construction work.

40th Anniversary

La Casa indeed has something to celebrate - starting this past November until November 2012, there will be five anniversary events to commemorate their 40th Anniversary. There is something for everyone as well as a variety of ways to support La Casa. La Casa is also working on a $40K challenge to help sustain programs that are facing a shortfall this year due to cuts in program funding.

Upcoming Anniversary Events
"Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" - Feb 9th at Newark Museum. 8:30AM - 11:00AM A stimulating conversation by prominent participants and observers that will reflect on La Casa de Don Pedro's place in the history of Newark, in the field of community development, and its outlook for the future.

Spring Gala, "La Casa es Su Casa" - April 4, 2012 at the Prudential Center La Casa's traditional annual fundraiser, but bigger, better, and more elegant than ever.

Summer Community Festival - September 2012 A community celebration, complete with professional musical entertainment, artistic performances, and family centered activities.

Fall Anniversary Closing - November 2012 Event for friends to recognize accomplishments: honor those who serve the community, and to present La Casa's view of its future.

For more info: http://www.lacasanwk40th.org/

Here are pictures from the 40th Anniversary Launch in November: