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Community Corner

Casa Nueva Vida

Casa Nueva Vida Inc. has served homeless and needy families, now by providing transitional housing and career training, for almost 25 years.

 

Tell us about the history of Casa Nueva Vida.
Casa Nueva Vida is a shelter in Jamaica Plain for the most vulnerable families, founded in 1987. Back then we started serving about four families, but now we have grown to serve many more families here in Jamaica Plain and now also in Lawrence. But throughout history our mission has remained the same - to help needy families sustain themselves and get out of poverty.

Why is Jamaica Plain a good home for Casa Nueva Vida?
We started in JP and we want to continue in JP. It is a very special, diverse community where there is diversification in culture and economics. There are several other centers in the area with whom we work to help us serve the families. JP is also home to many people who care about humanity and society. To me, it’s one of the best communities in Massachusetts.

Who does Casa Nueva Vida serve?
We serve people from all parts of the state, of all cultures, races, religion, everyone. We serve families who are going through rough transition periods, who are homeless and need a place to stay for a few days or months. The majority of our residents are Latinos, but we also have people from Somalia, Haiti, and people who are from Boston, natives. We serve families who don’t have a lot of resources, we try to help them so that they become self-sufficient and can become proud of themselves and succeed.

What are some of the programs you offer?
All our programs are free. Our programs have changed in response to the different needs of society. Aside from counseling, we offer our residents English classes, computer training, and technology training to compete in the field. We have some mothers that want to work in hospitals, they are trained to be nurse assistants. If they want to go to community college, we assist them in that process, too. In the past, we offered classes that trained them in skills needed for that period, but times have changed.

What is the best thing Casa Nueva Vida has done for Jamaica Plain?
We have many families that have passed through our house, and who are now working in JP and Boston and are contributing to society. They are stable financially and emotionally. Seeing families working within the community and enjoying their lives gives us much pride, because we can say that we were a part of their success.

 

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For more information on Casa Nueva Vida, located at 53 Glen Rd., click here.

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