Giving With A Purpose
Dear Friends,
The holiday season is in full swing, and as we come together with family and friends, I am reminded of the deep importance of community and what it means to support one another, especially during difficult times. This spirit lies at the core of La Casa de Don Pedro’s Giving Season, which started a few weeks ago and continues to highlight the resilience and hope of the families we serve.
For over 53 years, La Casa de Don Pedro has been a reliable source of support for individuals and families in Newark and Essex County. This year, our programs reached tens of thousands of members through our Early Childhood, Healthy Homes, Community Empowerment, and Immigrant Resource Center programs. Whether it’s a child taking their first steps toward kindergarten, a family staying warm during winter, an adult exploring a new career, or a New American seeking stability, your support makes a difference every day.
As the season continues, we’ve been sharing stories that highlight exactly what your generosity makes possible: moments of joy, breakthroughs, and newfound hope. These stories remind us that when a community stands together, transformation happens.
Today, I’m asking for your continued support. Your gift is vital for reaching the people who need us most.
Your support helps provide mental health services for families in crisis, supplies for dedicated teachers in our Early Childhood Centers, emergency support for new moms seeking diapers, food, and formula, energy support that keeps homes safe and warm, culturally responsive education for our youngest learners, and much more. Because of you, individuals and families across our community have a place to turn for compassion, care, and opportunities.
As you celebrate this season with loved ones, I hope you will take a moment to reflect on the difference you can make for those who are working hard to build brighter futures. Your tax-deductible donation ensures that La Casa de Don Pedro remains a beacon of hope and stability for our community.
Thank you for standing with us.
Together, we can continue to lift our neighbors and stand united this holiday season and into the new year.
With gratitude,
Peter T. Rosario, President & CEO, La Casa de Don Pedro
A Place of Healing, Connection, and Hope
At La Casa de Don Pedro (LCDP), we recognize that true wellness extends beyond just physical health; it also encompasses mental, emotional, and cultural well-being. That’s why we are proud to have planned and recently opened the El Barrio Wellness Mental Health Center. In this welcoming, culturally-rooted space, individuals and families can find healing, support, and a sense of belonging.
A Center Designed for the Whole Person…
A Story of Care, Compassion, and Life-Saving Action
At La Casa de Don Pedro, compassionate care is more than just a value; it’s a daily commitment. This dedication was clearly demonstrated at the Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) Maternal Health Breakfast, where our team united to address urgent issues impacting mothers and newborns across the state.
While listening to experts and advocates, we learned something remarkable: our own Prenatal Family Worker, Stefany Abreu, recently played a crucial role in saving the lives of two mothers in our prenatal program.
Healthy Homes, Strong Families
When the first cold snap hit last winter, Marisol did what she always did, she layered sweaters on her two kids and turned down the thermostat to save on the bill. The windows leaked, the radiators hissed without warming the house, and her youngest’s cough worsened at night. By January, she faced an impossible choice: heat or groceries.
A neighbor told her to call La Casa de Don Pedro.
Standing With Every Family
Inside La Casa de Don Pedro’s Immigrant Resource Center, each day starts with bravery. Families walking through our doors carry fear, uncertainty, and the hope for a safer, more secure future. For many, this Center is the first place they feel seen, heard, and supported as they face the complex challenges of immigration law and building a new life in the United States.
Where Trust Begins
A Mother’s Journey at 30 Demarest Street
The first time Janice walked into La Casa de Don Pedro’s Early Childhood Center at 30 Demarest Street, she noticed the warmth before she noticed the color on the walls. A teacher knelt to her daughter’s eye level. Another waved hello to Janice like they’d been saving her a seat.
“It feels like an extended family,” Janice says. “Knowing our daughter is in such good hands has been a huge relief.”
Your Gift. Their Path Forward.
Lucía used to time the bus by the crack in the sidewalk outside her apartment. If she and her son, Mateo, reached the corner before the bus passed the bodega, she could get to work on time. If not, the day started with a knot, another late mark, another warning.
Mateo was three, bright and curious, but the world kept speaking faster than he could follow. At the doctor’s office and the grocery store, Lucía translated as best she could. She wanted him in a safe, loving classroom where he could learn his letters and make friends, but every place she called was either too expensive or too far away.
Education & Empowerment
For too many adults in Newark and Essex County, barriers such as limited English proficiency or the lack of a high school diploma hinder access to good jobs. Nearly 1 in 5 Newark residents over 25 years old lacks a high school diploma, and thousands struggle with English, making it difficult to achieve economic stability.
La Casa de Don Pedro’s (LCDP) Adult Education and Workforce Development programs break down these barriers. In 2025, 436 adults learned English thanks to our ESL classes and 151 adult students pursued their High School Equivalency diploma with our help.
Where Care Becomes Community
For more than 50 years, La Casa de Don Pedro has opened its doors to Newark families with compassion and purpose, helping children learn, parents find stability, immigrants feel at home, and neighbors thrive together.
DONATE
This holiday season, La Casa de Don Pedro invites you to Be the Bridge, helping Newark families learn, work, and thrive. From early childhood education and safe housing to workforce training and immigration support, your gift strengthens lives across our community. Together, we can build stability, expand opportunity, and inspire change.
Here’s what your donation will help us purchase:
