Where Hope Lives

If Walls Could Talk

Words by Jennifer Simonson  Photos by Eric Morales

The walls of the bright orange house nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac in the shadows of East Austin’s newly constructed apartments would have endless tales of wars, persecution, and natural disasters.

Thousands of asylum seekers fleeing devastation, hard for most Americans to imagine, have started a new life in the confines of these walls. During the past 31 years, Austin’s own Casa Marianella has lived up to the best American ideals, providing hope and assistance to those starting a new life in America.

Casa Marianella, or simply Casa, is an emergency homeless shelter that serves recently-arrived immigrants and asylum seekers from around the world. Its staff of 20, along with the work of hundreds of volunteers, help immigrants transition into their new life in America. “We give everyone food and shelter. [We offer] English classes four nights a week. We give everyone a case manager who helps them get stabilized medically, legally, [and assist] them in finding work and housing,” explains Casa director Jennifer Long. “Our goal is to get people into safe and secure housing.”

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An Interfaith Task Force opened Casa Marianella in 1986 to provide hospitality to the wave of people fleeing their homes during the Central American wars of the 1980s. What started as one home providing shelter for men, women, and children has grown into 13 homes that provide shelter and transitional housing for more than 100 people. As Casa grew, they created a nearby site named Posada Esperanza specifically for women and children, many of whom are escaping cultural or domestic violence.

Worldwide conflict and persecution are forcing an unprecedented number of people to leave their homes everyday. Sixty-five million people are displaced globally with 22 million of them being refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

“I am incredibly inspired by our residents. Everyone of them has experienced trauma. Everyone of them has lost everything they had, including their sense of identity and their language. To witness the resilience of people, their capacity to start over, and their capacity for goodness, I think, [is] one of the most remarkable things about Casa,” Long boasts.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
– Emma Lazarus

Last year, Casa Marianella’s residents arrived from 36 countries. Latinos are no longer the majority of immigrants arriving to the Texas border seeking asylum. East Africans make up a majority of Casa’s residents. “Eritrea is [the] number one country, but we have many residence from Cameroon and Congo,” Long adds.

Casa Marianella is one of six immigration shelters in Texas, but only a handful exists outside of Texas. The big immigration centers like California, New York, and Washington D.C. do not have shelters. “I think a lot of the problem is that shelters are so hard to start. They are unpopular, and it is extremely difficult…, and when you add the fact that a lot of people are prejudice against immigrants, difficulty doubles.”

With that said, Long does not see that kind of resistance in Austin. From the City of Austin and Travis County funding to the hundreds of volunteers to the individual donors and community support, they all work together to keep Casa’s doors open and provide a welcoming environment for its residents. Long admits with a smile, “Our residents sing the praises of Austin. They consistently tell us they feel really welcomed here, that Austinites are really friendly and accepting.”

Wish List:

• Gently-used men’s clothing and new undergarments
• Men’s footwear: tennis shoes, work boots, shower sandals, socks
• New Toiletries: toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, razors, soap, cold medicine
• Food: fresh fruit, milk, eggs
• Bike accessories: bicycles in good condition, lights, locks
• Backpacks and suitcases in good condition

Contact:
512.385.5571
821 Gunter Street
casamarianella.org