Casa Familiar
Established in 1973, Casa Familiar is a 501(c)(3), community-based organization dedicated to serving residents in South San Diego County. Originally organized in 1968 under the name Trabajadores de la Raza, Casa Familiar has grown from existing solely to serve Spanish-speaking clients in the community of San Ysidro, to include services and programs for all of South San Diego’s residents. Programs range from Environmental Justice, Civic Engagement, Health & Social Services, Arts & Culture, and Education.
The mission of Casa Familiar is to enhance the quality of life for people living in underserved and underrepresented communities. Casa Familiar envisions healthy, just, and sustainable communities that reach our full potential.
Research Collaboration Guidelines
Casa Familiar has Research Collaboration Guidelines, a Research Interest Form, and a process for submitting research interest requests.
Please review the Research Guidelines located Here.
Please download and fill out the Research Interest Form located Here.
Return the Research Interest Form to the Casa Familiar email: development@casafamiliar.org
Current Projects
Casa Familiar and SDSU HLINK Center are currently collaborating on the following research projects.
- Assessment of Microbial and Chemical Pollution in Community Air and Indoor Environments in US Border Communities near the Tijuana River (page coming soon)
To learn more about our Partner Organization, click HERE.
Meet our Partners
Valerie Hash, MA, BA
Advocacy and Engagement Officer
Valerie Hash is the Advocacy and Engagement Officer for Casa Familiar in San Ysidro, CA. In her role, she oversees community programs, including but not limited to Financial Opportunity Center programs, research collaborations with SDSU, Arts & Culture, Environmental Justice efforts, and outreach and advocacy through the Promotora program. Before her time at Casa Familiar, Valerie was Director of Economic Development for the MAAC Project. Valerie is a graduate from The University of San Diego with a master’s degree in the Art of Leadership and Nonprofit Management. Valerie has been a nonprofit professional for more than 15 years and specializes in community engagement, workforce development, public speaking, volunteer engagement, donor stewardship, and program design. Valerie is also a San Diego educator and a former San Diego Unified School District English teacher and visiting teacher. She attended Southwestern College, where she competed in Speech and Debate and headed the Future Educators Association. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in written expression from San Diego State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She obtained her Teaching Credential from SDSU with an emphasis in ELL and cross-curricular collaboration. During her time at SDSU, Valerie competed with the SDSU Forensics Speech and Debate team, was an assistant to the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, where she helped fundraise and steward major donors. She currently volunteers with StarPAL Kiwanis, Council on Economic Education, San Diego County Sheriff’s Youth Probation, her children’s sports teams and schools, and serves on various community organization committees.