Family Night at Mi Casa Neighborhood Center

Posted by Katie Ehrlich, Mi Casa Intern

Mi Casa Neighborhood Center at Lake Middle School hosted its biannual Family Night on Wednesday, February 16. Family Night is all about giving the kids a chance to showcase what they’ve been up to in the afterschool hours at Mi Casa. It also gives parents a chance to access neighborhood resources including health services offered by Denver Health, career and business training offered by Mi Casa Resource Center on Acoma Street, and Bright Beginnings for parent readiness. But the best part about Family Night is just spending time playing, eating, and enjoying the company of family.

Mi Casa afterschoolers familiar with the Family Night events were teeming with excitement for the evening's festivities to begin. Through the support of a Target donation, we kicked the night off with a resource fair and activities for families including advice from health and financial companies, a photo-booth, paper flower making, and cookie decorating. Then everyone took their share of the enchiladas, rice, and salad provided by Revolution Foods, an organization dedicated to bringing healthy foods to school lunch tables.

Then it was time for the afterschool clubs to present their talents: Shake It Up club sang songs about life, love and social justice. Attack of the Robot club showed off their Wi-Fi powered robot (it can move back and forth, in a full circle, and bob its head up and down!). Fresh club showed off the break-dancing moves they learn every Monday. Each performance was followed by student awards to encourage the amazing attitudes and positive work we have seen in our participants throughout the year. Finally, it was a clean-up party in which everybody from staff to parents to kids helped out!