Growing an immigrant community center on the border

Help support Cosecha organizing in El Paso, Texas
Follow casa_carmelita on instagram for more updates on our work

Casa Carmelita is a developing community center in El Paso. Our vision is space that belongs to the community, where people can gather and push back against the injustices perpetuated in our border community. Since 2020, Casa Carmelita has served as a hub for local and transnational organizing.

Casa Carmelita serves as a base for Movimiento Cosecha El Paso, the Tornillo Coalition as well as Sacred Liberation but will be open for use by other collectives, organizations and the community at large. We are currently raising funds to finish much needed renovations in order to open the space to the public. With your support we can begin to utilize this space to run programs such as Food Not Walls, art, gardening and cooking classes, community meetings, reading groups, support for migrant shelters in Juarez & workshops of all kinds through a social justice lens.

Our name honors Carmelita Torres, a Mexican woman and domestic worker who refused the toxic gasoline baths that U.S authorities forced upon Mexicans crossing into El Paso. She defied orders and sparked a protest of thousands of other women opposing these inhumane kerosene baths. The location of Casa Carmelita is significant as it sits in the heart of our historic Mexican-American community known as Segundo Barrio and only a block from the looming border wall, reminding us, daily, of the critical nature of our fight for justice in the heart of the borderlands.

Our mission is to be part of the ongoing history of struggle by helping our community build bridges across borders, organize together through our collective power, support in the healing and nurturing of our community, and to co-create a communal place for our social praxis in service of marginalized communities.Together we can give life to a new chapter to this space in El Paso history.

What are we fundraising for?

In the last year, many community members have volunteered countless hours in support of the renovation of Casa Carmelita, to whom we send our endless gratitude! Thanks to these efforts we have been successful in gutting almost the entire downstairs. With your support, we can move to the next phase of renovation. We have gotten a quote from a contractor for the work that will bring the community’s vision to fruition.

$3,500: kitchen renovations (plumbing, wall repair, sealing )
$2,500: bathroom renovation (includes handicap accessible shower)
$2,500 kitchen appliances (with industrial capacity for community food prep/distribution)
$2,300: labor to do flooring for entire floor
$1,500: materials for stain and sealer
$1,000: tile materials
$300: dumpster rental
$200: construction equipment rental
Foundation: $3,000

We greatly appreciate your support especially in the times of a global pandemic.

Click here to donate to our GoFundMe

Cosecha El Paso is a national immigrant rights movement that centers people power and has millions of people across the country, for more info go to lahuelga.com

Tornillo the Occupation is a brown-led coalition of resistance against the Tornillo prison camp and corrupt system that devastates our families on both sides of the border. A coalition who successfully shut down the tornillo prison camp, organized an occupation during Christmas time against the gentrification of historic Segundo Barrio neighborhood.

Sacred Liberation is a spiritual center grounded in radical spirituality with a social justice lens).