OUR STORY
WHO IS “BUILDING ONE COMMUNITY - THE CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT OPPORTUNITY”?
In 2011, we opened our doors to become a welcoming point of entry for newcomers from all parts of the world. Immigrants who relied on a patchwork of services in a system that didn’t fully understand their needs – and those who went without any help at all – discovered a place that we created with them in mind. Since then, thousands of Stamford-area immigrants and non-immigrants have come together to build one stronger community.
We were founded as an affiliate of Neighbors Link Network, a Westchester-based organization focused on immigrant needs. After the expiration of our 5-year affiliate agreement, we rebranded as Building One Community (B1C), a name that captures the heart of our mission to bring passionate people together to help immigrants and their families succeed in the community.
OUR PARTNERS
Our partners are essential to the success of our work at Building One Community. They provide crucial services – health care, education, legal services, and much more – to our clients, and they support the work we do. We are very grateful for their wholehearted involvement in B1C.
- Americares
- Avon Theater
- Cancer Care
- City of Stamford
- Child Guidance Center
- Childcare Learning Centers
- Community Groups: Crisol, Quetzal, HACGS
- Community Health Center
- Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants (CIRI)
- Connecticut Legal Services
- CT Students for a Dream
- DOMUS
- Domestic Violence Crisis Center
- East Side Partnership
- Family Centers Inc
- Ferguson Library
- Greater Stamford Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Interfaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut and several local churches
- King School
- New Covenant House of Hospitality
- Norwalk Community College
- Person-to-Person
- PLTI/PEP
- Qualitas of Life Foundation
- Ratatouille and Company
- Saint Joseph Parenting Center
- SCORE
- Social Venture Partners
- SoundWaters
- Spectracomm
- Stamford Health and Social Services
- Stamford Hospital
- Stamford Police Department
- Stamford Public Schools/ Stamford Adult and Continuing Education
- The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education
- Stamford Adult Continuing Education
- Vita - The Stamford Community Collaborative
- Waterside Coalition
- Women's Business Development Council
OUR TEAM
Our dedicated employees and Board members along with hundreds of committed volunteers are the people who “make it happen” at Building One Community. They are the essence of the services we provide and the immigrants we support.
Staff
Executive Director:
Catalina Horak
(203) 674-8585 ext. 101
[email protected]
Program Director:
Anka Badurina, PhD
(203) 674-8585 ext. 104
[email protected]
Development & Communications Director:
Christa Chu
(203) 674-8585 ext. 105
[email protected]
Development & Communications Associate:
Melanie Hernandez
(203) 674-8585 ext. 108
[email protected]
Special Projects Advisor:
Michelle Saldivar
(203) 674-8585
[email protected]
Family & School Services Director:
Lorely Peche
(203) 674-8585 ext. 119
[email protected]
Immigration Legal Services Director:
Adriana Podesta, Esq.
(203) 674-8585 ext. 109
[email protected]
Case Manager:
Jennifer Wiesner
(203) 674-8585 ext. 122
[email protected]
Parent Organizer:
Lorena Martinez
(203) 674-8585 ext. 106
[email protected]
Parent Organizer:
Jennifer Gomez
(203) 674-8585
[email protected]
Workforce Development Manager:
Ivonne Zucco
(203) 674-8585 ext. 116
[email protected]
Hiring Site Manager:
Francisco Cordero
(203) 674-8585 ext. 102
(203) 252-7044 (cell)
[email protected]
Outreach Coordinator:
Alejandra Gomez
(203) 674-8585 ext. 123
[email protected]
Workers Organizer:
Luis Mendoza
(203) 674-8585 ext. 102
[email protected]
ESL Manager:
Suzanne Vega
(203) 674-8585 ext. 103
[email protected]
Accounting & Operations Manager:
Kristin McGarey
[email protected]
Systems & Data Manager:
Pia Roeser
(203) 674-8585 ext. 113
[email protected]
Volunteer Manager:
Margarita Zimmerman
(203) 674-8585 ext. 120
[email protected]
Facilities Coordinators:
Fernando Castellanos,
Leonel Restrepo,
Silvia Aguilar
(203) 674-8585 ext. 110
Office Manager:
Lupita Figueroa
(203) 674-8585
Child Care Coordinator:
Ana Ruales
Maria Diaz
(203) 674-8585 ext. 111
Board of Directors
• Anne Downey, Chair
• Mirellise Vazquez, Vice Chair
• Hana Lane, Treasurer
• Mary Luvera, Secretary
• Jeannette Ayerza
• Angeles Dam
• Carmen Domonkos
• Ginny Fox
• Ellen Isidro
• Maryann Kann
• Earl Kim
• Bruce Koe*
• Mary Maarbjerg*
• Cathy Ostuw*
• Rev. Edward Pardoe
• Douglas Penn
• Robie Spector
• Aleksandr Troyb
• Ximena Velasquez
• Arthur Wit
• William Malpica, Esq., Pro-Bono Counsel
Past Board Members
• Ana Maria Badash*
• Bia Bettamio
• Beatrice Chodosh*
• Sarita Hanley*
• Peter Krane*
• Rev. Mark Lingle*
• Eilish Main
• Eva Maldonado*
• Alex Martinez
• Mike Meyer*
• Ted Michelfelder
• Caroline Murray*
• Diane Rosenthal*
• David Smith*
• Kathleen Walsh*
*Founding Board Members
Building One Community is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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Building One Community is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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