CASA

See Projects Report for January 2018

PROJECTS FOR 2018:

Festival Latino 2018: An annual celebration of local Latino culture that features a presentation from a Latino musical group, a variety of Latino foods and many games and other activities for children – scheduled for Wednesday, June 28.

Latino Agricultural Project: Assist Jan Flora from Iowa State University on a research project that includes interviews with focus groups comprised of Latino workers in Sioux County and nearby counties.

English Language Learning: Providing English language instructions to adult English learners by means of programs that include (1) Home tutoring (the PIECE program); (2) Collaborating with the ESL and HSED (High School Equivalency Diploma) programs offered by Northwest Iowa Community College; (3) Coordinating some local ESL teaching initiatives.

JUNTOS: A collaborative project in partnership with the Iowa State University Extension Office that reaches out to Latino high school youth and their families in Sioux Center to explore further schooling and employment possibilities after high school graduation.

Sioux Center Housing: With the ever growing demand for available housing in Sioux Center, we are finding few opportunities for families to find suitable homes to rent. Struggling families are faced with the challenge of finding community resources for which they are eligible (e.g., heating or rental assistance). There is also a lack of resources for families in acute crisis to access temporary housing. This project seeks to partner with the City and local churches to put long-term and short-term goals in place regarding housing in Sioux Center.

Engaging Local Law Enforcement Officials: A project focusing on building and maintaining personal relationships with the Sioux County Sheriff and, where possible, with municipal police officers to address concerns regarding racial profiling and other matters pertaining to the interface between law enforcement officers and local minority groups.

Guatemalan Consulate Project: Provide transportation for local Guatemalan residents to the Guatemalan Consulate in Chicago to complete necessary documentation (e.g., ID  passports).

Response to Potential Deportation Initiatives: Consideration of potential CASA initiatives if the present Trump administration decides to implement deportation procedures for undocumented immigrants in Sioux County, to include consideration of “Sanctuary Churches.”

Download: List of Project Leaders & Contact Information for 2018