Lopez Family in Solidarity with La Casita Center

In Honor of My Dad

Felicito "Porfi" López Pérez · 6 March 1942 – 15 February 2026

My father was born in La Huerta, San Benito, Sinaloa, and he never let anyone forget it. Whatever pride I have in where I come from — orgullo por mis raíces — he put there.

The photo is exactly who he was. Porfi — el alma de la fiesta, always ready with a joke, on the dance floor at every wedding.

He built his life between Tijuana and San Diego, and for more than twenty years he worked auto body and paint. Two decades of taking things that had been wrecked and making them whole again. He never would have called that a philosophy. To him it was just Tuesday. Agachar la cabeza y hacer el trabajo que hay que hacer. Head down, do the work that needs doing.

I was in my mid twenties when I finally realized how much my dad had sacrificed to leave his home country and come to the U.S. - not because of what he wanted for himself, but because of what he wanted for his children. 

He left me roots and resilience: pride in where I come from, and the lesson that what matters isn't how many times you get knocked down but how many times you get up.

He was what Neruda called el hombre sencillo, the ordinary man the odes were written for. The poem's promise to him is a hand on the shoulder and one word repeated until it's believed — ganaremos nosotros, los más sencillos. We will win, we the simplest ones. Not you alone. Us.

That's the part my dad couldn't hand me by himself. La Casita turns 21 this year, celebrating solidarity, our roots, and our resilience. He gave me two of those three. The third is what a community has to build for each other, on purpose.

That's La Casita's work. They call it acompañamiento, and it's the right word: La Casita doesn't hand a family a pamphlet and wish them luck. It walks with them, on the ordinary days, the way my dad showed up for family his entire life. He moved between two countries to provide for the people he loved. The families walking through La Casita's doors are doing the same thing, here, now. 

I serve on La Casita's board, and this Give for Good Louisville I'm giving in my father's honor. I'd be grateful if you'd give alongside me.

Celebrating 21 Years of Solidarity, Our Roots, and Resilience

For 21 years, La Casita Center has worked to build a thriving community grounded in mutual support and respect. Our mission is to enhance the well-being of Louisville's community through education, empowerment, advocacy, and wellness.

Proceeds from Give for Good fund the programs families count on: food security, kindergarten readiness, culturally relevant mental health support, legal resources and know-your-rights education, health empowerment, and accompaniment for families affected by gender-based violence.

Every dollar brings us closer to our goal of $65,000 and widens our circle of solidarity.

La Casita's values. We welcome by accompanying people on their life journey. We engage individuals and communities to understand their needs and hopes. We equip and empower people with the resources, knowledge, and skills vital to full participation in community life. And we recognize, affirm, and celebrate Latinx culture.

Learn more at lacasitacenter.org.

Thank you! Somos Un Circulo, We Are A Circle.