Our Mission

We are a community of people “learning together to love our neighbors as ourselves” in a Latino neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia.

As a faith-based Christian non-profit with a small staff and over 100 volunteers, we serve alongside more than 100 families and their children (1st-12th grades) each week through our community programs.

Children with hands raised during performance.

Mission

Developing relationships with families to see the Chirilagua neighborhood transformed by Christ.

Vision

God’s Kingdom established in the Chirilagua community.

Values

We seek to live incarnationally among our neighbors, positioning ourselves to be the hands and feet of Christ daily. We seek relationship, recognizing that transformation occurs through Christ-centered connections, that programs serve as access points rather than ends in themselves. We seek, live, and profess a message of restoration between God and people and between individuals. We highlight these values in what we call the 5 R’s. These values guide our decisions and focus for the future and growth of our organization.

1. Reliant

We are reliant on God.

2. Rooted

We are rooted in the community.

3. Relational

We are relational in all we do.

4. Reconciliatory

We work toward reconciliation to God and one another.

5. Regenerative

We invest in the regeneration of individuals and our entire neighborhood.

Casa Chirilagua’s Culture of Honor

As an organization we commit to the following four statements known as the Culture of Honor. These commitments are made by all who participate at Casa Chirilagua, from board members to staff to families, to ensure we are interacting with one another with respect, humility and love.

1. I choose to be courageous and vulnerable

The core belief that we are worthy of connection, flaws and all–as opposed to the lie of shame that our flaws make us unworthy–will lead us to commit to a high level of honesty and vulnerability in relationships. We won’t give ourselves the option of going into hiding or isolation when we get scared. We will protect connection by cleaning up messes and prioritizing the relationship above issues when there is a disagreement.

2. I choose to be trustworthy and trusting

The core belief that our thoughts, feelings, and needs matter, AND that our needs were intended to be met in healthy relationships-as opposed to the lie of mistrust, that we can’t get our needs met in relationship-will cause us to commit to being assertive communicators who listen well, pay attention to what people need, and care about meeting those needs. We will refuse to have disrespectful conversations, and will hold to a standard of believing the best about others.

3. I choose to be genuinely powerful

The core belief that the only person we can and should control is ourselves, and that it is our job to manage our choices and the way we affect people around us-as opposed to the lie of powerlessness that we have no control in the situation-will lead us to commit to high levels of respect and responsibility in relationships. The option to manipulate, blame, or control others will be off the table. We will focus on upholding our end of the relationship and being ourselves no matter what someone else does. We refuse to let fear rule our hearts and choose to love at all times.

4. I choose to believe there is enough in the world for all people to flourish

The core belief that each person, created in the image of God, is beautifully unique and valuable, and there are enough opportunities in the world for every one of us to not only “happen” but to flourish–as opposed to the lie that we are not valuable and there is not enough for us all to flourish or succeed– leads us to commit to building relationships with high levels of encouragement, affirmation, generosity, and celebration of others. We recognize that our relationships are themselves our greatest resource, helping both parties grow. We will set a firm line against allowing jealousy or greed to poison our hearts and connections, recognizing that there is enough love and affirmation for everyone. Our standard is to look for and call out the best in people, celebrate them, and use the resources of our lives for their benefit.

Get Involved

Our relational network of volunteers and donors reflects a diverse group of individuals from all over the Washington, D.C. metro area. As a non-profit, we rely on the community for assisting program directors on-site, being mentors, supplying the needs of our food pantry, and everything in between. Each member of our Casa community holds a unique gift, whether time, talent or treasure.

volunteer

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