Family advocacy

Why Advocacy? 

By Isela Cereso Mendiola   We’ve all heard the repeated phrase, “You need to advocate for yourself” or “Advocate for what you believe in.” What do those phrases really mean? How does advocacy impact our everyday life?   Merriam-Webster defines advocacy as, “the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal”. Although […]

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ELEMENT volunteers build hope with Esperanza United

For the last 15 years, ELEMENT volunteers have been helping maintain Casa de Esperanza, Esperanza United’s local shelter for Latin@ survivors of domestic violence. In this video we salute our volunteers and talk more about our strength-based approach to ending gender-based violence. Email Beth Baynes at bbaynes@esperanzaunited.org for information on volunteer […]

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Meet the team: Irene Ochoa

Meet Irene Ochoa, Senior Family Advocate  Where are you from? I’m from Chihuahua, Mexico. Where do you feel most at home?  I feel at home in Minnesota where my family is. Three of my children and grandchildren are here. I also feel at home in Chihuahua because my oldest, my father […]

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Shelter services at Esperanza United with Irene Ochoa

In this podcast, as part of a series celebrating our new name, “Esperanza United”, our Co-director of Family Advocacy and Community Engagement, Rosario de la Torre, speaks with our Senior Family Advocate, Irene Ochoa. Doña Irene has helped Latina survivors in Minnesota for nearly 35 years, and is admired among Esperanza […]

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Two Latina young women and a Latino young man with link arms and cityscape in background

Special Announcement: We are now “Esperanza United”

It’s long been who we are but now it’s also what we’re called. As of today, Casa de Esperanza and our National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities (NLN) has a new name that better embodies our vision, mission, and approach – Esperanza United. Nearly forty years ago, a group […]

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Esperanza United proud to receive investment from MacKenzie Scott

Hola Amig@s, I’ve always known how important the work of Esperanza United (formerly Casa de Esperanza) is. In Minnesota and nationally, we partner with Latin@ communities to end gender-based violence, investing in our families and celebrating our strengths. The coronavirus hit the communities we relate to particularly hard – Latin@s are experiencing some of the highest rates of […]

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