About Us
Casita Linda (which means “Pretty Little House”) is a Mexican non-profit organization founded in 2001. We build homes for families who are among the poorest of the poor in San Miguel de Allende, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico.
Our Mission
Casita Linda creates a dignified, safe and empowering environment that provides a foundation of hope for families living in extreme poverty.
Vision
A San Miguel de Allende in which everyone has a dignified home and hope for the future.
Core Values
Empowerment, Dignity, Respect, Community, Transformation and Compassion.
Our History
In 2000, San Miguel de Allende suffered a particularly harsh winter. The unusual freezing temperatures of this winter caused several deaths in the municipality because of the extraordinarily difficult living conditions in which many rural families found themselves. Jeffrey Brown, a San Miguel resident, stonemason, and graphic artist, with the help of Irma Rosado, a local human-services consultant, secured a small donation and in 2001 formed Casita Linda, A.C., a Mexican nonprofit. From the very beginning, Casita Linda has been a wonderful team of foreigners and Mexicans working together to create hope for impoverished local families.
Over the years, our impact has greatly expanded by getting more deeply involved in the communities where we build. In January 2016, Casita Linda began offering intensive, twice weekly workshops to our families and others in the community, as well as providing various forms of support to the community as a whole. We co-host community festivals, organize pet sterilization clinics with Amigos de los Animales, partner with Caminos de Agua to build rainwater catchment systems for elementary schools, and install pop-up libraries with Libros para Todos.
In 2017, Casita Linda earned 501c3 status, becoming a recognized nonprofit organization in the United States as well as Mexico. Donations from people around the world make Casita Linda’s achievements possible.
Before receiving a house, these families live in shacks made of scrap metal, cardboard, plastic sheets, and scavenged bricks with dirt floors that turn to mud in the rainy season. Moving into a Casita Linda house that has concrete floors, separate bedrooms for girls and boys, an indoor bathroom, a rainwater catchment system, furniture, and doors that lock is a profoundly life-changing event.
Family
Selection Process
Our
Workshops
With the skills and knowledge that we provide to our families through these workshops, they are better prepared to start a new chapter in their lives and break negative cycles, as well as to prevent the intergenerational transmission of poverty.
All-Volunteer Board of Directors
Louise Gilliam
President
Louise Gilliam, has lived in San Miguel for 16 years after having lived in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas. Louise was Director of Corporate Communications for a major airline and then went on to open an Executive Search firm specializing in placing high caliber airline executives for both domestic and international carriers. Louise began producing events for Casita Linda in 2006. She is committed to seeing that the poorest of the poor in San Miguel are treated with dignity and respect and have sustainable shelter and is passionate about paving the way for the children of our families to build better lives for themselves.
Gregg Blackburn
Treasurer
Gregg Blackburn, is a former civil litigation attorney from Boston, Massachusetts. After retiring he came to San Miguel in 2009 with his wife Karen who has longtime connections to San Miguel. He started out with Casita Linda as a volunteer laborer in the field screening sand and laying block. Working with the construction crew and seeing firsthand the living conditions of house recipients has fostered a commitment to Casita Linda’s goals and its crew. He joined the board in 2014 and became treasurer in the spring of that year.
LYN GAWRON
Secretary
Lyn Gawron, Secretary, has lived in Europe, North Africa, the US and Mexico. She owned seven gas stations in Southern Arizona before moving on to the Office of Cultural Programs, Colorado State University, bringing events and covering all disciplines of the Arts to the campus and the city of Fort Collins, CO. She then spent three years as a Personal Banking Officer and Business Development Specialist for the Bank of Santa Fe in New Mexico. As a volunteer, she was responsible for hospitality for Film Festivals in Houston, Charleston, Denver, Durango, Taos and Santa Fe. Lyn and her husband currently reside in San Miguel de Allende and Santa Fe, New Mexico where she works in the movie industry.
Guadalupe Alessio
Board Member
Guadalupe Alessio, is a Mexican sociologist with a degree in Human Rights and Gender Studies and a Masters degree in Studies in International Relations. Lupita has worked in several government institutions. She was Executive Secretary of the ” Commission for Peace and Reconciliation in Chiapas” and was a teacher at the prep school and University level. Lupita has written several articles about social issues in various magazines. She joined the Casita Linda Board because she believes that owning a house is the most elementary human need and human right. She believes it is very important to help the most deprived families in our community.
Teri Kavanagh
Board Member
Teri Kavanagh, has dual citizenship in Mexico and the U.S. and is fluent in both languages, and has resided in San Miguel since 2002. She is presently the Co-Founder and Director of the Casa Buenaventura Charitable Foundation and an Ambassador to CRISMA/ Vamos Mexico. She is also a Citizen Liaison Volunteer with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. Under the previous Municipal Administration, she was the Director of Non-Profits and Liaison to the Foreign Community in San Miguel. She has been active with other NGO’s including Rotary, Feed the Hungry, Mexiquito Orphanage, and the Red Cross.
Stacy Rose
Board Member
Stacy Rose has lived in San Miguel de Allende since 2012, having relocated with her husband from Akron, Ohio. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1986 and continues to hold a valid license in Ohio. Her nursing experience includes surgical, medical, psychiatric, and school nursing. While serving as a school nurse, she had responsibility for various areas of health education. She also has experience in chairing multiple fundraising events and serving in other volunteer capacities, many for organizations in San Miguel. Her greatest passion is her family, and that passion motivates her desire to help needy families in her new home city here in Mexico.
Paul Rose
Board Member
Paul Rose has been a resident of San Miguel de Allende since 2012. He is a retired lawyer who practiced for 42 years in the area of complex business litigation, including construction litigation. He has extensive experience serving on charitable boards, including the Board of Tarry House, a psychiatric half- way house, which he chaired for eight years, and the Board of the Cleveland Orchestra, where he served as chair or vice-chair of multiple committees, including the Facilities Committee, which is responsible for capital improvements and maintenance of the Orchestra’s performance facilities. He received his B.A. with special distinction from the University of Oklahoma and his J.D. with honors from The Ohio State University School of Law. Paul is a long-time supporter of Casita Linda and joined the Board of Trustees in 2022.
Ann Marie Jackson
Board Member
Ann Marie Jackson is the award-winning author of The Broken Hummingbird, a writer for Mexico News Daily, and co-founder of microlending organization Mano Amiga. Early in her career, after earning degrees from Stanford and Harvard, Jackson joined the U.S. Department of State to promote human rights in China and other East Asian and Pacific Island nations. She has worked with Human Rights Watch, A Better Chance, and Internews to further social justice causes and advance respect for human rights. A native of Seattle, Washington, Jackson has resided in San Miguel de Allende since 2012. She can be reached through her website: annmariejacksonauthor.com
Gustavo Rodriguez
Board Member
Gustavo “Kiko” Rodríguez was born in Lima, Peru, and earned his degree in Business Administration at Universidad Inca Garcilaso de la Vega before moving to Orange County, California at age 27. He launched his career as a building engineer with Arnel Management (Commercial Division) and worked for the company 18 years before moving to The Irvine Company. He was Maintenance and Projects Divisional Director for the Southern California region of Atria Senior Living before retiring in 2020. Kiko has lived part-time in San Miguel de Allende since 2015, and relocated full-time after 33 years in California. A lifelong animal lover, Kiko was the founder and first board president of Rosey's Wish, a local organization that provides a pet food bank, free spay and neuter clinics for animals in the communities surrounding San Miguel, and transports rescued dogs for adoption to the United States and Canada. He enjoys playing tennis and anything related to construction, remodeling, decorating, cooking, and entertaining.
LAURA RODRIGUEZ
Board Member
Laura, a native of San Miguel de Allende, holds a degree in Cultural Studies from Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana in Mexico City. With over 25 years of experience in cultural and luxury event management, she has built a distinguished career rooted in creativity, organization, and community engagement. She has worked extensively with prominent non-governmental organizations in San Miguel, including Cañada de la Virgen Nature Reserve, the Public Library, Amigos del Parque, and Hospice Mitigare, contributing to initiatives that enrich the region’s cultural and social landscape. Fluent in English, Laura combines strong business acumen with strategic planning expertise in her role as a real estate agent with CDR Forbes Properties. Her deep involvement in San Miguel’s business, cultural, and nonprofit sectors has cultivated an exceptional network and a nuanced understanding of the community.
Our Staff
Gabriela Rodríguez
Executive Director
Gabriela Rodriguez has dedicated her career to the art of community building. As the Executive Director of Casita Linda since 2019, she blends a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing (UTNG) with over a decade of leadership in the public sector. Her deep-rooted knowledge of San Miguel de Allende’s rural communities was forged during her tenure as Director of Rural Assistance at SAPASMA and Director of Operations at DIF, where she managed complex social assistance and public health programs. A bilingual leader fluent in English and Spanish, Gabriela serves as a vital bridge between international supporters and the local families we serve. Her expertise extends beyond organizational management into high-level event planning, where she plays a key role in the success of Casita Linda’s annual fundraising galas. Whether she is overseeing a construction site in a remote community or managing complex tax compliance, Gabriela’s work is driven by a lifelong vocation for service and a commitment to creating dignified living conditions for all.
Magdalena Pérez
Social Worker
With a heart for service and a wealth of local expertise, Magda joined Casita Linda in 2012 to lead our community-facing initiatives. She holds a degree in Social Work and possesses extensive training in family advocacy, human rights, and environmental health. Before joining our team, Magda spent 15 years working alongside the State Government of Guanajuato, dedicated to the development of indigenous and rural communities. Magda is the primary link between Casita Linda and the families we serve. She oversees the essential stages of our mission—from identifying community leaders to leading the workshops that empower our residents. Her diverse approach to community building includes everything from organizing theater productions and festivals to spearheading tree-planting and organic gardening projects. Magda is passionate about helping the families of San Miguel de Allende discover their own potential and raise their quality of life. She shares her home in San Miguel with her daughter, Carolina.
Guillermina Reyes
Assistant to the Executive Director
Guille embodies the heart and soul of Casita Linda. A former recipient of a Casita Linda home in 2013, Guillermina’s story is one of remarkable resilience and professional ascent. Recognized early on for her sharp intellect and dedication, she was mentored into administrative leadership and now serves as a critical partner to the Executive Director. In her current role, Guillermina is vital to our daily operations, handling everything from complex project accounting to financial tracking for our home builds. Her life is a powerful example of what happens when a family is given the security to thrive. Today, she is a proud mother whose children are reaching new heights, including a daughter currently studying at the University of Guanajuato. Guillermina now uses her expertise to support the very mission that provided her the foundation to build a bright, independent future.
Our Partnerships
Financial Summary
A crucial part of making Casita Linda viable is keeping our costs to a bare minimum. We seek to put the maximum amount of each donation toward the actual construction of the homes we build and the provision of social services to our home recipients and many of their neighbors. We have achieved this enviable record thanks to the dedication and talents of our volunteer board members and the help of many other volunteers. Furthermore, we manage to build each durable, secure, comfortable, well-constructed home for roughly $15,000 USD including a wastewater system, a rainwater catchment system, basic furniture, electricity and plumbing. In the process, we provide good jobs to a dedicated crew of local construction workers.
We are affiliated with Friends of Casita Linda AC, Inc. a US-based 501 (c) (3) non-profit that files a “Form 990) non-profit tax return annually. That form becomes public on the IRS website.