Amplifying Human Impact

If numbers could speak, they would tell the story of La Casita Center. Since participating in the Community Foundation of Louisville’s online giving day, Give For Good Louisville, La Casita has rapidly increased vital fundraising, donor support, and overall exposure in Louisville.

“The first year we raised $700,” said Karina Barillas, Founder and Executive Director of La Casita. “The following year, I believe we raised $7,000. Then the following year, I think, $13,000. In 2019, we raised $19,000… and we were in the top 10 for unique donations out of hundreds of nonprofits participating.”

The dollars raised through the Community Foundation’s giving day have allowed La Casita Center to amplify their human impact. These growing numbers mean an increased capacity for La Casita to support the mission of the organization, accompanying Latinx families through challenges big and small. That mission is to empower these families, providing a foundation for systemic change with long-term effects.

This looks like access to educational opportunities, legal advocacy, and safety for families in crisis in order to enhance the wellbeing of Louisville’s Latinx community. Additional connections through the Community Foundation means that La Casita can further integrate the resources and values of the Latinx community into the surrounding Louisville community.

With all of La Casita’s growth – in numbers served and impact made – Karina envisions a world in which organizations like La Casita are no longer needed. Point blank: “ I believe that our mission is to get rid of our jobs,” said Barillas.

“We nonprofits succeed because there is a need and there is a gap in services. So I am dreaming that one day, maybe I won’t see it, maybe it won’t be in my life time, but one day we all are going to be out of a job and it’s going to be just a thriving community. And the Community Foundation—I think, and I believe with all my heart—is key for that dream to come true.”

The Community Foundation will be hosting Give For Good Louisville on Friday, September 17, 2021.