Connect Casino Road

The Casino Road community is known for its high levels of engagement, which indeed motivated the launch of Connect Casino Road and our community center. However, it was also recognized recently by a national economic development institution as one of the highest need areas for economic opportunities due to its persistently high poverty rates and large population of immigrants (25%) who have been historically marginalized. The Casino Road poverty rate is 36%, as compared to the county’s 14%, and the median income for our families is $37,313, as compared to the county’s $81,956. Officially launched in 2017, Connect Casino Road serves as the backbone of a collaborative of 24+ organizations that all work with local families to help them achieve their vision for a resilient community.

The layout of our physical space is a direct result of the community’s vision for the programs they wanted to see in their community center, and our organization continues to bring in new partner organizations to the collaborative based on the needs expressed by families. Our Director and program staff bring lived experience of immigrating to the US and bilingual abilities that are invaluable for understanding the journeys of our families.

We support families in three ways: by helping them navigate existing systems and resources (such as education, healthcare, and housing), by convening partner organizations to fill service gaps left by those systems, and by amplifying the community’s voices to improve those broken systems with public agencies.