Blog

Legacy into Acción

A letter from our CEO Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Ph.D. In 1968, when our Inquilinos set out in organizing a fight to stop the displacement they were facing, they could never have imagined what they would set into motion. They set out to share their beliefs about the importance of affordable housing, community building, education, and the arts. Their Acción set the foundation for IBA's work and a legacy that has lasted nearly 50 years, a legacy to carry through generations, a legacy to lead our community. Today, your acción can sustain that legacy and help us empower individuals and families to improve their lives through affordable housing, education, and arts programs. PRESCHOOL Your acción prepares bilingual preschool graduates, like the 2016 class of 35 students, our largest graduating class to date. Through our solid early education curriculum, we’re “giving the best gift we can give them.” - Janayra Santiago, mother. YOUTH Your acción earned us the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award for giving over 1,000 youth program participants alternative outlets for expression. "I love how we learn. We're integrating the arts into learning about what it means to be a person of color." - Noemí Negron, program participant (pictured here with our CEO and First Lady Michelle Obama). ONEHOOD - BASKETBALL PEACE LEAGUE Your acción keeps the peace in our neighborhoods, keeping nearly 500 youth off of the streets while providing them with invaluable mentors & creating lifelong friendships. ARTS Your acción supports diversity, making our Villa Victoria Center for the Arts the largest hub for Latino arts & culture in Massachusetts. You bring music, dance, and visual artworks to more than 9,000 audience members. AFFORDABLE HOUSING Your acción provides 1,055 Bostonians not just a house, but a home. A neighborhood that has been recognized for ‘defying the odds.’ OUR VILLA VICTORIA Your acción helps our community and amplifies our efforts, which were recognized this year by Banker & Tradesmen for “inspiring achievements and innovation, and for making a lasting impact..” And because the state is just as invested in our work as you are, your donation will receive a 50% tax deduction. (Minimum $1,000 donation to benefit from the program). Your one time or monthly donation helps people keep their homes, educates our future leaders, provides a fresh start for people’s careers, promotes a safer neighborhood, strengthens cultural diversity, and enriches the fabric of our community and our city. Your gift empowers individuals of all ages to create a stronger and better future for themselves and their families. We are committed to our mission, but to do this we need your help. Be a part of what #GivingTuesday is all about, because together, we can keep turning Legacy into Acción. Thank you!! Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Ph.D. CEO of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción Take Acción and donate now....