About Us - History

25th Anniversary

History
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Crisis Line: 651.772.1611

History
We have matured

Casa de Esperanza's roots are deep in Latino communities. Founded more than twenty years ago, our organization has developed and strengthened since its establishment as a shelter for battered Latinas. We have matured and transformed because of a brave, innovative spirit and responsiveness to Latinas. Today we are a Latina agency that is grounded in commitment to our communities and to ending domestic violence.

In the late 1970's, when the "battered women's movement" was still young, a small group of Latina activists formed Casa de Esperanza to educate their communities and advocate for Latinas in the Twin Cities. It wasn't long before battered Latinas began to ask where to find shelter. These women were in crisis and needed safety; yet it was equally important for them to find that safety in a comfortable place--where they could speak their own language and be at home culturally. Mainstream shelters were not the answer.

Casa de Esperanza incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1982, leased space from the St. Paul YWCA, and opened a shelter for Latinas. Forming a collective, the founders operated the shelter-in addition to their full-time jobs-with the help of volunteers. The daunting challenges they faced came from two fronts and often were based in racism or prejudice: mainstream and government organizations questioned why Latinas needed a separate shelter; and Latino communities resisted exposing domestic violence within their culture as well as seeking safety outside the home.

The women had a mission and persevered. They knew they must address their communities and maintain their cultural commitment. They knew they must be "by and for" Latinas.

The number of women and children housed at the shelter immediately exceeded expectations. Primarily housing women of color, Casa de Esperanza provided shelter, community education, advocacy, and transportation. In 1984 Casa de Esperanza purchased a house in St. Paul that could accommodate thirteen women and their children and hired its first Executive Director.

For more than a decade Casa de Esperanza developed and grew. (see Annual Report, 2001 & 2002, for more details.) Latina leadership worked to maintain the shelter's cultural relevance, educate the community, and provide services to battered Latinas and their families. Executive Directors brought stability to the agency's finances, administrative operation, and fund development. In the early 1990's Casa de Esperanza stepped into new territory with its outreach to battered Latinas in the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community. (Our video, "My Girlfriend Did It," is recognized nationally and still in demand.) Our mission statement held true: "to eliminate violence against women and children in the Latino community and the community at large."