Expanded La Casa de Esperanza's College Preparation and Tutoring Program with a generous support from The Terri and Verne Holoubek Family Foundation totaling $30,000 and the Greater Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation totaling $32,300.

Awarded a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury for La Casa de Esperanza's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, which complements the continuation of a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a $100,000 grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.

Turned a small area of green space behind La Casa de Esperanza's Community Center into a Youth Garden through the generosity of Buzz Ellwood, owner of Genesee Nursery and Landscaping, who donated all of the supplies and labor to make the garden a reality. This vital, hands-on education opportunity was enhanced by curriculum and staff support from Waukesha County's University of Wisconsin-Extension Office.

Received a $10,000 grant from The UPS Foundation for the purchase of Accelerated Reader and Spark computer software to help disadvantaged youth enrolled in La Casa de Esperanza's school-age programs improve their academic proficiency and physical fitness outcomes.

Unveiled the second phase of La Casa de Esperanza's Young Artist Cultural Awareness Project through a grant from the Mary L. Nohl Fund of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Wisconsin Arts Board. Sixteen gallery-quality oil paintings depicting the richness and beauty of Hispanic culture were produced and displayed throughout Waukesha and Milwaukee Counties.

Helped a La Casa de Esperanza Financial Stability Initiative client share her predatory lending debt trap experiences with President Obama during a meeting at the White House. This special opportunity came as President Obama explored starting a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

Received a donation of 26 laptop computers from GE Healthcare for use in La Casa de Esperanza's Youth and Before/After School Programs.

Developed a comprehensive partnership with Carroll University Physical Therapy students to provide fitness and nutrition education to children enrolled at La Casa de Esperanza between the ages of 3 and 13, and with Carroll University Nursing students at La Casa Villages senior housing complex to implement a Nintendo Wii Fit Program through a grant from the Alliance for Children and Families - New Age of Aging Initiative.

Met a $20,000 challenge grant from The Terri and Verne Holoubek Family Foundation to purchase a 30-passenger school bus to meet the growing transportation needs of La Casa de Esperanza's Before and After School Program.

Named as the beneficiary of a $200,000 grant from the sale of the Wisconsin Tend Home through the generosity and vision of Mr. Bryce Styza, president of Harmony Homes and Bryce Styza Properties, and in partnership with the Metropolitan Builders Association of Greater Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Builders Association, and Tim O'Brien Homes.

Received a $31,000 U.S. Cellular grant to open a parent/teacher resource center in La Casa de Esperanza's La Escuelita Early Childhood Development Center.

Became a BadgerCare Plus community partner through a mini-grant from the State of Wisconsin to enroll eligible Waukesha County residents in BadgerCare Plus, which gives families access to affordable health care coverage for dependent children.

Opened La Casa de Esperanza's new Weatherization Program campus, which is located across from our Community Center. This new state-of-the-art complex allows for more efficient and cost effective operations, resulting in reduced energy consumption and lower energy costs of low-income families. The campus features a warehouse of inventory and equipment storage, a maintenance workshop, administrative offices for program staff, and a lighted surface lot for program vehicles.

Received a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to expand La Casa de Esperanza's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.

Launched a non-partisan, community-wide voter education and registration drive through the National Council of La Raza. Selected as one of 25 organizations cross the country to participate in this effort, La Casa de Esperanza exceeded is participation goal by registering 550 new voters.

Began a Financial Stability Program with support from United Way in Waukesha to help 50 Waukesha families increase income, build savings, and gain and sustain assets.

La Casa successfully completes $2.5 million capital campaign.

La Casa, with support from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Mary

Nohl Fund of the Greater Milwaukee, completes youth arts initiative

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program completed 774 returns, resulting in over $1.6 million remaining in our community

Issued first Ways to Work loans in February

Developed and began the Bryce P. Styza Construction Language Program

Participated in exchange program with teachers from Mexico

La Casa becomes the first Kids Café site in Waukesha

Dr. Walter Sava and Anselmo Villarreal author the book Latinos in Waukesha

La Casa helps over 11,000 Waukesha County residents annually through educational, workforce development, health, nutrition and housing services.

La Casa regards its ongoing ability to establish effective, efficient and powerful partnerships with other community collaborators as a major accomplishment. Program partners include Waukesha Memorial Hospital, WCTC, UW-Waukesha, the Waukesha Police Department, Waukesha Corrections, Waukesha Housing Authorities, and many local schools, churches, businesses and foundations. In addition, each year over 20,000 individuals attend Fiesta Waukesha where Hispanic cultural heritage is shared and celebrated with the larger community.

Annie E. Casey Foundation recognized La Casa with the Family Strengthening Award for its exemplary Children, Family, and Youth Program.

12 early childcare teachers enroll in Early Childhood degree programs.

Curriculum and Instruction Committee of the Waukesha School Board approves La Casa's charter school curriculum

La Casa awarded its 2nd Kresge Foundation Challenge Grant in the amount of $300,000

La Casa receives the NCLR Midwest Affiliate of the Year Award

La Casa receives the NCLR Regional Affiliate of the Year Award for making a positive, measurable impact on the lives of Latinos in the community

La Casa conducts a two-day training seminar for NCLR affiliates from across the nation

Celebrated the first year of operation of Café Esperanza, La Casa's food service training facility

Advocacy Initiative raised community awareness about the electoral process and registered 321 new voters

La Casa was awarded a $5 million contract to provide Low-Income Weatherization services in the City of Milwaukee.

La Casa received a $100,000 grant from WHEDA to develop financial literacy and homebuyer programs.

La Casa announced a new $1.5 million Capital Campaign.

La Casa was awarded an Earmark Grant to develop a food service training program which will be developed in collaboration with Waukesha County Technical College.

La Casa was awarded $50,000 worth of technology equipment and curriculum from SBC / LULAC (League of Urban Latin American Citizens) to strengthen the services to the Children, Family and Youth programs and increase access to technology to our community.

La Casa began a Foundation, Initiative 2010.

La Casa was awarded the contract for the Family Self Sufficiency Program through the Waukesha Housing Authorities.

La Casa received the Outcomes in Excellence Award from the United Way in Waukesha County for the Children, Family and Youth Program.

La Casa successfully met a $250,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation of Troy, Michigan. Only four such grants were awarded in the entire Greater Milwaukee area.

La Casa Village II Apartments, a complex of 20-housing units was opened in order to meet the increasing need for affordable, low-income housing for elderly and/or disabled individuals. This second housing unit was constructed through the financing support of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) and a number of private corporations.

La Casa was awarded a $485,000 grant from the US Department of Labor to expand our very successful weatherization program. La Casa is currently offering a full-service weatherization-training program to more than 100 under-skilled and unemployed individuals seeking careers in the weatherization industry. After training, these workers will be qualified to earn $8.50 per hour and will receive assistance in job placement.

La Casa was selected to receive the 2002 Waukesha County Executive Award for Outstanding Non-profit Organization. La Casa was selected for this honor because of the profound and far reaching consequences of our work and the efficient and effective manner in which we provide our broad array of services.

La Casa was chosen to participate in the Denali Initiative to develop a social enterprise call Su Casa Weatherization Services to provide job training and placement to low-wage, unskilled workers.

A $2.3 million Capital Campaign to finance the construction of La Casa's new community center was successfully completed. The project was a success due to the partnership and support of the community and major donors including the Bank One Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Quad Graphics, Col Agustin Ramirez, Jr., Waukesha State Bank, The Greater Milwaukee Foundation, The Petit Foundation, the Bradley Foundation and many more.

La Casa began a capital campaign with a goal to raise $2.3 million to finance the construction of La Casa's new community and child development center. The new center was opened in May 2001 and has allowed La Casa to expand its programs and pursue its goals more assertively than ever.

Program development increased with seven new services: "Midnight Sports", Summer Meal Service Program, Radon Home Testing Program, Home Repair Program, Waukesha County Homebuyer Program "A Dream Come True", A.O.D.A. Outpatient Clinic and JOB-RIDE.

"The After School Club" for latchkey youth and "Above & Beyond" coursework for Hispanic women were added to expand educational program offerings.

In collaboration with the Milwaukee Foundation and WCTC, La Casa began the Hispanic Adults Returning to School Program (HARTS).

La Casa expanded its programming to include an Early Childhood Intervention (ECIP).

The agency purchased a two story residence which provided an additional 2,000 square feet of classroom and office space.

Additional programming was developed to include employment and skill training, weatherization services, a senior center, and the Good Neighbor Energy Fund. The La Casa Village Apartments, a 51-unit housing complex for senior adults and the disabled, was constructed.

La Casa relocated and expanded physical operations twice. 410 Arcadian Avenue was renovated to accommodate administrative and a multipurpose classroom followed by the purchase of a second building adjacent to the administrative building to house La Casa's Community Center.

The agency changed its name to La Casa de Esperanza, Inc. and began offering educational programs.

La Casa de Esperanza, Inc., was organized by a group of concerned citizens. Originally known as History Builders, Inc., the agency purchased a house on Ryan Street and from there operated their first major project - a day care program.