An idea that’s been 15 years in the making When Sami DiPasquale became the executive director of Ciudad Nueva 15 years ago, he was eager to explore community development initiatives focused on housing and asset development. At the time, however, Sami was the only staff person at Ciudad Nueva, and he was only working part time. “I knew we had to focus on what we had right then,” Sami says. “We only had Launch Pad, the after-school program for elementary kids. Our initial energies had to be on expanding to middle school as the kids grew, then to high school.” Even more important, Sami knew that … [Read more...]
Mustard Seed Café Serves Up Love and Opportunity
...And a delicious meal! From a tiny seed a plant can grow to nourish and sustain many people. A tiny seed of an idea was born in the hearts of our friends Christi Brown, Patsy Burdick and Shelley Speicher to open up the Mustard Seed Café. For about a year before the café actually opened they prepared the meals for Ciudad Nueva youth programs and community dinners as well as volunteered in our after-school programs, building relationships with kids and families in our neighborhood. In addition, Christi and Patsy participated in the Border Fellows class. “God had worked in my heart for … [Read more...]
School Is Back in Session!
Growing up, I remember back-to-school season being full of emotions: excitement, dread, curiosity. Would this year be better than last year? Would I like my teachers? I can’t wait to see my friends! At Ciudad Nueva, back-to-school season is all about excitement. There is a flurry of activity from visiting families, schools, and volunteers. Phones are ringing, emails are flying. Students are ready to get back in the routine — and see all the friends and leaders they missed over the summer! It all starts with planning Summer is a change of pace at Ciudad Nueva. We head off in a lot of … [Read more...]
Reflections on Strategic Planning
Earlier this year, Ciudad Nueva went through the most comprehensive strategic planning process we have ever done in our 15-year history. We included six board members, six staff members, and three volunteers in the sessions, which were led by Bill Jackson of the C12 Group. You can read more about the process we went through and some the results in our post earlier this month. The sessions were so impactful for our organization and energizing for our staff and board members, we thought you might like to hear directly from them. Here are a few reflections from our participants: Bethany, … [Read more...]
Strategic Planning: Cooking Up a Great Future for Ciudad Nueva
Strategic planning is a lot like planning a big meal. First you need to decide who is coming, and then you need to purchase all the ingredients and supplies you will need to make the meal. Once that is all in place, it is imperative that you have a plan to complete your meal by the time your guests are ready to eat. Things might not always go as you plan, but without a plan, things are almost guaranteed to go wrong. Hopefully, if you have planned well, the results will be more obvious than all the effort. Everyone will focus on the great meal and the fellowship Strategic planning in the … [Read more...]
