April 2026 Newsletter
Thank you to all of you who have
supported La Posada in some way.
We would not be here without you!
It’s been a bumpy road
but thanks to all of your prayers and financial support, it looks like we are really getting up to speed this year.
Rubi’s Work
With Rubi Astello, our accredited representative, on board for all of 2025 and so far in 2026, we have been seeing more clients and helping them submit their requests for new or updated status to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It is more challenging than ever to keep up with regulation changes, new requirements, and increased enforcement actions. Our membership in CLINIC gives us weekly updates on these changes and Rubi watches it closely.
Working together
La Posada does not work alone. We are grateful for the strong relationships we have with local organizations such as the Center for Healing and Hope and MCC Great Lakes. We are part of a much larger effort to meet the critical needs of the immigrant community. One pressing need is transportation for migrants who need to get to medical appointments, consular visits, or mental health services. Short-Term Partnering with Immigrant Neighbors (STPIN) is a local ad hoc effort to bring people and resources together to accompany local immigrants as they enrich our communities. You can click on the "Volunteer Form" button to open a form. People and resources volunteered here will be made available to local churches, schools, organizations, and service providers who are able to connect them with immigrants in need of services. Immigrants who are in need can fill out a transportation request form, and STPIN will work to connect them with resources to help. Many of you are doing your own important work in addition to supporting La Posada. Our service together is a gift from God that encourages us all.
Citizenship Classes
Carrie Hartzler Bhandari, citizenship class instructor, taught two sessions in 2025 and another from January to April 2026. Each session begins with 17 students who want to learn how to become a citizen. Students learn what they need to know to apply for citizenship and how to pass the citizenship test once they get an appointment. Our accredited representative helps them make their applications and we celebrate when they finally get their citizenship papers.
Celebration night at the end of citizenship class!
Carrie Hartzler Bhandari, instructor (with flowers),
Patty Gorostieta, board president, (left of Carrie),
and Rubi Astello, accredited representative (right of Carrie)
with three members of the fall class.
Leadership
There have been significant leadership changes at La Posada over the last year. Our founding president, Naun Cerrato, moved on to serve immigrants with a cooperating organization, Catholic Charities, and Patty Gorostieta, stepped in to be board president.
Board of Directors
See all board members on the leadership page of this website.
Invitations Welcome
Each of the board members brings an important perspective to our work. One of the ways you can support La Posada is by inviting us to speak in your congregation, class, or other group. We can give a brief presentation in larger groups and be available to take questions in smaller sessions. We would also welcome a one-to-one visit from one of us if you want to learn more. Your support—whether through spreading awareness, volunteering, or donating—helps us continue this critical work. If you would like to contribute in any way, we would love to connect with you.
Finances
As you can see from the financial report below, La Posada began with two years of preparation followed by a year of operations in 2023 and a year of regrouping in 2024 as we brought on new staff and applied for reaccreditation. In 2025, we were fully operational and hoping to expand in 2026.
Looking Ahead
In 2026, we hope to expand our efforts by: • Increasing our staff hours to serve more clients. • Hosting community trainings to equip individuals and bystanders with the knowledge to support migrants. • Providing financial assistance (in addition to our subsidized fees) to those struggling with immigration-related fees.
How You Can Support Our Mission in 2026
In 2025, we were able to service more than 40 households. We are so very grateful for the way you have supported us in the past. We need you to step up now so that we can continue to expand Rubi’s hours and the number of people we can serve. You can give online, including automatic monthly gifts, or by check.
Thank you!
