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. Some visits left her feeling invisible, as if her family’s language and traditions were to be set aside at the door. 

One rainy afternoon, a neighbor told her about La Casa de Don Pedro. “Seven centers across Newark,” she said, “and the teachers know our kids. Head Start and Early Head Start are free if you qualify. They were willing to help me with the forms also.” 

Lucía didn’t want to hope too hard. But the next morning, she pushed open a glass door painted with handprints and found warmth. A staff member greeted them in Spanish and English. A teacher knelt to Mateo’s eye level and pointed to a basket of books. There were labels in two languages, photos of families on the walls, and songs floating from a nearby room. 

They enrolled. The first week, the routine felt like a small miracle: breakfast together, a bus that came on time, a hug goodbye at the classroom door. Mateo learned to pour his own milk, to share blocks, and to count to ten and higher. He came home singing about colors and seasons, asking to “read it again” before bed. When Lucía asked about kindergarten, the family worker showed her a checklist and smiled. “You’re not alone in this,” she said. 

At night, when the apartment was quiet, Lucía read the papers La Casa de Don Pedro sent home simple guides about early learning, notes from the teachers, a flyer about a parent meeting with Newark Public Schools. She thought about the city she loved: the soaring rents, the morning bus, the families like hers juggling more than their share. She knew many children arrived at kindergarten already behind, not because they lacked curiosity, but because the road there was too steep too costly, too complicated, not built with their languages and lives in mind. 

At La Casa de Don Pedro, the road felt different. It curved toward them. 

On the last day before winter break last year, parents crowded the small auditorium. The children took the stage in construction-paper crowns. Mateo spotted his mother and waved so fiercely his crown slid sideways; a teacher fixed it and whispered something that made him grin. They sang a song about winter and another about home. When it ended, he ran to Lucía and pressed a glittery card into her hand. Inside was a smudged handprint and three shaky letters: M-A-T. “Mateo,” she said, tracing the letters with her finger. “Mi amor.” 

Outside, the air was cold and bright. Lucía lifted her son’s backpack and felt something new sitting alongside the crayons and snack: a lightness, and some hope.

In a city where nearly one in three little ones grow up in poverty, where choices are too often narrowed, this place had opened a door and welcomed them in, without asking them to leave themselves behind. 

Tomorrow would bring its usual bus and bills. But today, Mateo’s crown was straight, his letters were true, and the sidewalk crack was just a mark in the concrete, not a deadline and not a warning. Just a line they had crossed together. 

*Shared with permission; the name has been changed to protect privacy.

Help the next Mateo start strong! 

This holiday season, your gift to La Casa de Don Pedro's Holiday Fund keeps preschool classrooms warm, welcoming, and ready for little learners.  Give now to help more children arrive at kindergarten confident and prepared—and to support parents with the care and connection they deserve. 

How your gift can help 

  • $50.00 – Welcome kit for a single mom and young child at the Family Success Center includes diapers, baby wipes, a food gift card, or winter warmth essentials.
  • $100.00 – Food Security – Provides grocery gift cards, pantry staples, or emergency meal assistance for families facing food insecurity, helping ensure no Newark family goes hungry.
  • $150.00 – Classroom & learning resources for Early Childhood (books, crayons, paint, materials).
  • $250.00 – Utility Assistance to keep a home safe and warm for families in need.
  • $500.00 – Provides low-income immigrants with trusted legal guidance to complete citizenship, DACA, green card, or family reunification applications; services that can otherwise cost thousands of dollars.
  • $1,000.00 – Provides wrap-around support for a family, connecting them to early education, housing stability, workforce training, and immigration services.

Donate to the La Casa de Don Pedro Holiday Fund 

P.S. Employer matching gifts are welcome, so you can double your impact if you can.