La Casa offers a variety of workforce development and financial services programs that provide comprehensive employment training, financial and asset-building services to low-income individuals who are unemployed or underemployed and are seeking economic self-sufficiency. This program model integrates a variety of services all at one convenient location and leverages case managers and program coordinators working collaboratively to assist clients in overcoming multiple barriers to self-sufficiency. Relationships with clients are often long-term – helping them move from poverty/low income to financial stability to flourishing financially and personally.

Employer Connect
Employment Services & Career Counseling Through its Employer Connect Program, La Casa provides a full range of employment services and connects well-qualified individuals to local employers. To improve client employability and promotability, employment services offered include skills assessment, career counseling and occupational training; assistance in enrollment in English as a Second Language courses, GED/ABE courses, associate degree programs and/or technical diplomas or certificates; financial aid enrollment assistance and scholarship search; resume preparation, interviewing skills development, and career planning. Employer Connect works to cultivate long-term relationships with employers by assisting them in recruiting, screening, and post-hire skills training.

Contact Ben Stark at (262) 832-1510 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
The VITA program provides free federal and state income tax return preparation and filing for low- to moderate-income families and individuals. Special emphasis is placed on identifying families who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit and helping them take advantage of the credit, which often results in $1,000 or more in refunds. La Casa’s VITA program also provides bi-lingual, culturally competent tax services for the Hispanic/Latino community. In 2011, La Casa’s VITA program generated over $3 million dollars in refunds for clients. These refunds were reinvested in the local economy. The VITA program is made possible through the support of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Internal Revenue Service.

Volunteers for VITA needed right away in order to provide
these valuable services to our community.

Contact Stacy Martinez at (262) 832-1565 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Financial Stability Initiative
The Financial Stability Initiative is a collaborative of for profit and nonprofit organizations, led by La Casa, with the goal of assisting families in attaining financial stability and building wealth. The Initiative provides financial literacy and entrepreneurship education and one-on-one employment and financial counseling to eligible individuals and families at no cost. Initiative Coaches work with clients to identify barriers to financial stability, determine specific goals and resources needed to move toward financial freedom, and then establish and implement an action plan to attain their goals. The Financial Stability Initiative provides financial literacy education on topics such as avoiding “risky” financial behaviors and predatory financial services, credit repair, budgeting and money management, funding a safety net, and asset building (encompassing insurance, home buying, short- and long-term investing, pensions, and estate planning).

Contact Gina Sanchez Juarez at (262) 832-1504 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Family Self-Sufficiency Program
La Casa’s Family Self-Sufficiency program is a specialized case-management program provided in partnership with the Waukesha Housing Authority. The Family Self Sufficiency program provides educational, economic and supportive services that allow families to become economically and socially independent. These services are provided to eligible families by dedicated case managers who help participating families access La Casa’s and other organizations’ resources and services as they pursue self-sufficiency - ending dependence on government and other subsidies.

Contact Ashley Berka at (262) 832-1522 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Amina Nur at (262) 832-1520 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

This program is not possible without your support, click here to learn more about supporting this program.