We bought a home!
Can you believe it?! Casa de Paz now owns its very own casa! A permanent place for immigrant families to reunite -- a place of peace after separation by ICE detention -- a place they can call home. One of the first things we’ll do after moving in is hang up a beautiful sign that says, “Welcome To Your Home.” Can you see it? We totally can.
Oh… btw… the home is fully paid for already!! Continue reading to see how this was even possible. (Hint: literally thousands of people played a part in our being able to buy the home with cash.)
Our History
Casa de Paz began in 2012 as a small, one-bedroom apartment offering hospitality to families separated by immigrant detention. In 2017 we moved into a rented house with more space so we would not have to turn anyone away. Since we first opened our doors, we’ve hosted 3,339 immigrants from eighty countries, and the need only continues to grow.
Yesterday we welcomed in TWENTY-ONE guests in just ONE day! That’s the most we’ve ever welcomed in one day since we began. The purchase of this home could not have come at a better time.
The Problem
Using every resource at hand, Casa de Paz has always found a way to offer hospitality, shelter, and support to immigrants. But with a housing shortage in our area, as long as we rented, true stability would always be out of reach. There are no promises when it comes to the rental market. Casa de Paz, though, is a promise -- a promise that as long as detention centers keep families apart, a welcoming home is always here for them.
Our Solution
To keep our hospitality to immigrants on stable footing, we wanted to secure a more permanent home. Oliver, a guest who became our live-in host, had a vision his very first week with us: He said we should buy our own home. Building on his words, we committed to succeed – and, slowly but surely, we moved forward to accomplish this goal.
Sarah Jackson and Oliver Fon at the original Casa de Paz
On June 25th, we finally did it. We now own our home!
The details are amazing. Our new Casa de Paz is located within walking distance of the detention center. It has two levels, so the guests will stay upstairs and the host family downstairs. It has a big, beautiful backyard with ample space to enjoy the gorgeous Colorado sunshine, sunrises, and sunsets. A backyard gate opens up to a walking path lush with green grass and towering trees -- a peaceful space for folks released from detention to immerse themselves in natural beauty. There’s even room for a small garden so we can serve the freshest salads around to our guests.
And I can’t stop repeating the really marvelous thing! IT IS TOTALLY PAID FOR! No mortgage, no monthly payments, no wondering if we’ll ever be able to pay it off.
The home is 100% ours.
Paid In Full
For the past nine years, we’ve been saving money so that one day this dream could become a reality. Folks in the community donated unrestricted funds; Volleyball Internacional donated its registration fees; and every time someone donated a household item, it spared us a purchase, saving us a few dollars more.
Bands like Roka Hueka and Don Chicharrón played fundraiser concerts for us. Churches passed their plates and shared them with us. Businesses like Cervecería Colorado held happy hours to support us.
Even our realtor, Maria Irivarren with 8z Real Estate, donated her $10,000 commission check right back to us. Maria is a long-time supporter of Casa de Paz and specializes in buying and selling homes in the Denver Metro area. She’s the best of the best, and we highly recommend her for all your realtor needs.
Gradually, each heartfelt gift added up to this amazing day! We are grateful to have a community that always provided for every need, even when we didn’t ask.
What You Can Do
We will be moving to our new place in the next couple of months. There is lots to be done before then. Please read through this list of needs and fill out this form to let us know how you’d like to help.
Drop off your cardboard boxes so we can start packing up.
We’re looking for an interior designer who can give us recommendations on how to make the home feel comfortable and safe for our guests.
If you’re a handy person who can fix things around the home, join our Home Maintenance team. We’re looking for folks who can build things, fix leaky faucets, paint walls, install carpet; the list goes on and on.
We’ll schedule a few workdays to dejunk, pack, clean, and move. As with all the other moves we’ve ever invited you to, we’ll provide cold drinks and pizza.
As we begin moving in, there will be items we need. We know for sure we’ll need a washer and dryer, queen sized bed, some end tables, etc. Fill out the form and we’ll send you the full list.
If you have a truck and can help us move furniture, let us know.
Send us a Target gift card or make an online donation so we can make our house feel like a home.
Tons of tiny details get lost in any move, and maybe we’ve forgotten some things. If you’d like to help out with something that’s not on the list, you’re welcome to fill out the form as well. As Oliver says, “Many hands make light work.”
THANK YOU
After we move in, you’ll receive an invite to our housewarming party. We want you there to celebrate this grand moment with us.
When we thought of doing this alone it seemed impossible, but when we thought of doing it together we knew it would work.
We’ll leave you with this note from a gentleman who was released from ICE detention a few days ago. He sent us this message after arriving home safely and now is reunited with his family, right where he belongs.
