Casita Maria Deli Opens in the Neighborhood!

Casita Maria, Inc. is proud to announce the opening of a new deli in our community cleverly named “Casita Maria Deli.” We are thrilled that the owners, Jorge Ramirez and Rafael “Boliva” Tineo felt so inspired by the reputation of our organization that they wanted their new business to be connected to our legacy. Casita Maria Deli is located at 1022 East 163^rd Street, between Simpson Street and Southern Boulevard and will have hot breakfast and lunch foods, deli sandwiches, healthy choices, and a state-of-the-art coffee maker with freshly ground beans.

Jorge grew up in the shadow of Casita Maria at 941 Simpson Street and remembers the days when young people would flock to the small center for after-school and summer activities. He always dreamed of opening up his own business in his old neighborhood. Jorge now owns Blink Juice Bar at 921 Southern Boulevard and promises to be a great local business owner who gives back the community where his mother still calls home. His message to the young people and families of Casita Maria is to “never give up” and “always run after your dreams because everything is possible as long as you work hard towards it.”

Boliva has owned bodegas in the community since 1996, when he opened his first business on Intervale Avenue and Fox Street. Although he’s been away a few years, he’s now returned to run Casita Maria Deli and make it the finest bodega in the neighborhood. Boliva tells us he remembers the days when friendly Casita Maria staff and youth shopped at his bodega on the corner of Simpson and East 163^rd Street. For him, running Casita Maria Deli with Jorge was an important goal that he’s proud to have achieved. Boliva says that he and Jorge have special plans to make the deli experience an unforgeable one for all community residents.

Congratulations to Casita Maria Deli! 

EXPRESSIVE ART PROGRAMS AT CASITA MARIA PROVIDE TOOLS FOR COMMUNICATION

The arts offer an infinite pool of nuance for expression, and through the Expressive Art Programs at Casita Maria, we are harnessing this creative outlet to empower our young artists. The objective is to equip young artists with a comprehensive set of resources, enabling them to develop the skills necessary to effectively manage, take initiative, and make positive contributions to our community and all areas of their lives. This work is meant to foster a sensitivity to individual needs and to connect the cultural fabric of our communities by engaging in diverse arts programming, musical performances, movement, storytelling, character building, and sharing community collaborations with our audiences.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT LEADERSHIP CLASS

Highlighting High School Participants in the College Bound Program, 9th-12th grade 

This fall, young participants in Casita Maria's Education programs have been working on their Civic Engagement Project: Food, Culture, and Identity. One of the components of this project is conducting a case study in the community to gain a deeper understanding of the commercial food industry, learn the realities of local business owners of food establishments, and to highlight and investigate a common theme in their research. High School participants visited Margherita's Pizza on East 163rd St. to have an informational and inspiring conversation with Juan, the restaurant owner. In response to the questions prepared by the participants, Juan shared his experience pursuing his dream of opening a restaurant and provided insight on the inner-world of restaurant owners. The participants learned how restaurants have had to adapt during and after the pandemic and how inflation has impacted the restaurant industry. They were taught about owner’s permits, the different food safety practices, and how to run a trustworthy and welcoming business for the community. The participants will interview more local business owners and will present their findings at Casita Maria's Civic Engagement Showcase this December 2023.

VISIT THE GALLERY

Casita Maria presents the solo exhibition Naturaleza Mutable by Bronx-based artist Carlos Wilfredo Encarnación, on view in the Casita Maria Gallery through March 1, 2024. The exhibition features 18 mixed media paintings and collage artworks fusing imagery from tropical flora, fauna and Puerto Rican popular and pre-colonial arts.

LEARN MORE

View Images from the Opening Celebration