Mi Casa, MidChix, and The Latina Chamber invite you to an evening with Helen Thorpe, author of Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America.

Friday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Tattered Cover Bookstore - 1628 16th Street

Just Like Us is a well-timed and powerful account of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denver—two of whom have legal documentation, two of whom who don’t — and the challenges they face as they attempt to pursue the American dream.

Wine and cheese will be served, and all proceeds from the event will support Mi Casa’s mission to advance the economic success of Latino families.

Suggested donation: $40 per person

To RSVP contact Cheryl at 303-539-5609 or cbalchunas@MiCasaResourceCenter.org

MidChix.com is a social networking community for women 40+ featuring magazine–style content, a variety of flocks, member recommendations, as well as information on organizations that serve the greater good. www.MidChix.com

The mission of the Latina Chamber is to promote and advance the personal, professional, and business interests of Latinas, their families, and their communities. We believe in giving back to community and helping our people find their way in life. www.LatinaChamber.org

Bid for the Chance to Be Anything!

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a zookeeper? How about an Olympic swim coach? A pastry chef? A crime reporter?

Well, now’s your chance to experience these dream jobs! Mi Casa’s Be Anything Luncheon on May 21 will include a unique silent auction featuring opportunities to hang out with fascinating professionals and “be anything” for the day!

Mi Casa's 2nd Annual BE ANYTHING Luncheon & Silent Auction
Friday, May 21 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Denver Athletic Club

Tickets are $50 each and selling out fast! Call or e-mail Cheryl 303-539-5609 or cbalchunas@MiCasaResourceCenter.org.

2010 Dream Jobs Up for Bid

Be an Olympic Swim Coach: spend the day with the head coach of the U.S. Swim Team and rub elbows with heroes from the 2008 Beijing games.

Be a Zookeeper: shadow a zookeeper at the Denver Zoo and learn about caring for the animals and the ins and outs of running a popular urban zoo.

Be a Race Car Driver: learn racing techniques while driving a real Porsche race car on a track outside Denver.

Be a TV Reporter: hang out with The Denver Channel’s weekend anchor/reporter Ana Cabrera and experience the newsroom, filming studio and even the chance to report on breaking news.

Be a Radio DJ: sit in the booth with DJ Mikey in the mornings from Alice 105.9 FM and participate in the live morning show!

Be a Denver Post Crime Reporter: shadow beat reporter Felisa Cardona and experience what its like to go to court, conduct an interview and produce a story on deadline.

Be a Pastry Chef: spend the day surrounded by sweet smells at Azucar Bakery and learn to make a wedding cake from start to finish, including decoration!

Be a Raging Rapids Fan: this is the perfect package for a soccer player! With the chance to take the field immediately before kick-off and get a jersey signed by the entire team, this is an experience your kiddo won’t soon forget.

Be a Queen and Princess: perfect for mother-daughter, this package includes hair styling and makeovers for two at Planet Labs Salon in Cherry Creek North.

Be a Roaring Rockies Fan: with four tickets (great seats!) to the home game of your choice and a signed piece of Rockies memorabilia, this is a great package for the boy (or girl) of summer in your life.

Mi Casa Named One of Three NCLR Family Strengthening Award Winners

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) has chosen Mi Casa as one of this year’s NCLR Family Strengthening Award winners. NCLR received many applications from NCLR Affiliate partners in 16 states, and following review by two different committees, Mi Casa was selected as one of just three recipients of the award for running exemplary programs dedicated to strengthening Hispanic families.

As a Family Strengthening Award winner, Mi Casa will receive $16,500 in cash to support our Youth & Family Development programs. Mi Casa will also share strategies and best practices with other NCLR affiliates at the annual conference in San Antonio this summer, participate in creating a best practices guide, and take part in peer-to-peer technical assistance with other, similar organizations around the nation.

“This is a huge honor for Mi Casa,” said Christine Marquez-Hudson, Executive Director. “It speaks to the incredible hard work and dedication of our staff, board members and volunteers, who work every day to make sure our programs effectively help Latino and low-income families overcome their challenges and achieve lasting economic stability.”

The National Council of La Raza – the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States – works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Through its network of nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations, NCLR reaches millions of Hispanics each year in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. To achieve its mission, NCLR conducts applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy, providing a Latino perspective in five key areas – assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health. In addition, it provides capacity-building assistance to its Affiliates who work at the state and local level to advance opportunities for individuals and families. Founded in 1968, NCLR is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization headquartered in Washington, DC.

Senator Udall Features Mi Casa in Workforce Tour Video

Senator Udall visited Mi Casa on March 31 to meet with students in our Green Energy & Construction training program. Check out this video from Udall's 2010 Colorado Workforce Tour that features Mi Casa Resource Center and some of our job training graduates.

Mi Casa's Green Energy & Construction Training on CBS4 News!

Check out this video that appeared last week on CBS4 News about Mi Casa's Green Energy & Construction training program and one of our graduates currently employed as a PV installer at Simple Solar.

Mi Casa trains individuals - most of whom have limited skills and education - to launch careers in the high-growth industries of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Senator Mark Udall Visits Mi Casa

Senator Mark Udall visited Mi Casa Resource Center on Wednesday to meet with students in Mi Casa’s Green Energy & Construction training program and discuss ways the government can promote renewable energy projects to get more unemployed Coloradans back to work.

“Green is the new red, white and blue,” said Senator Udall. “Investing in renewable energy is the most patriotic thing we can do. I’m not for changing the color of our flag, but we want to have the strongest country in the world and in the process create good jobs and keep our air and water clean.”

Senator Udall met with students enrolled in Mi Casa’s training programs and held a town hall meeting with Mi Casa students, staff, trainers, and community partners. Several people told Senator Udall about their difficulty finding work and asked him what the federal government is doing to create jobs on a large scale.

Charles Garcia, a recent Mi Casa graduate, told Senator Udall that having a felony on his record has crippled his job search. “It’s a huge barrier,” said Charles. “They like to say it isn’t but it usually knocks me completely out of the running.”

Udall responded by acknowledging that probably everyone had made a serious mistake at some point in their life; some folks just pay for those mistakes more than others. The Senator said he welcomed suggestions on how to lift some of the obstructions for job seeking ex-offenders. “We ought to do more to help people – once they have paid their debt to society –start their lives over again, which means being able to vote, get housing and find a job,” Udall said.

RJ Harrington, Managing Director of Simple Solar, a Mi Casa training partner, suggested the legislature create incentives for employers to provide ex-offenders with a two-week working interview, a practice Simple Solar uses with its ex-offender employees – and everyone else – to make sure it’s a good fit.

Senator Udall concluded by stating his commitment to removing some of the barriers ex-offenders face in the workforce and providing incentives for employers who hire them.

“You inspire me,” the Senator told the group gathered at Mi Casa. “I can’t wait to tell your stories.”

Find Financing for your Small Business!

Mi Casa is committed to supporting small businesses and cultivating opportunities for economic success through self-employment. That's why we are hosting a Small Business & Community Resource Fair on Wednesday, April 7th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The focus of the event will be on helping small-business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs connect with financing options, counseling, and other businesses in order to grow or launch their small business and find new opportunities for expansion. The event is FREE and open to the public.

This event will provide participants with information on business loan options in a down economy, as well as the latest government incentives for small businesses and low-cost entrepreneurial training and business counseling services offered by Mi Casa.

In addition to traditional lending institutions, Mi Casa encourages its small business clients to seek the services of local credit unions. Many entrepreneurs find the personal service, low fees and accessibility of credit offered by local credit unions to be a welcome respite from the formal bank environment.

At the April 7 event, credit unions, banks, and microlenders will be present at Mi Casa to help you understand the loan process and offer advice. Click here for more info about this event.

Call Claudia at 303-573-1302 for more information or to reserve your spot.