The night of December 15, our El Futuro community gathered for Las Posadas—and what unfolded was far more than an event. It was a reminder of who we are and how deeply we belong to one another.
It was cold, and yet families began lining up well before the event started, stretching from El Futuro all the way to our Lincoln Clinic. Parents arrived hand in hand with their children. Volunteers showed up early and stayed late. Board members, donors, churches, partners, and community members stood side by side, united by a shared commitment: to make sure our families felt seen, cared for, and celebrated.
This has been a difficult season for many in our community. A time marked by fear, uncertainty, and scarcity. And still—hundreds of families came. Still—dozens of volunteers offered their time, energy, and joy. Still—our community chose connection over isolation.
What we witnessed was generosity in action.
We saw teamwork across departments and roles. We saw people step in wherever there was a need—offering warm champurrado to families waiting in the cold, helping children with activities, supporting registration, and making sure every detail reflected dignity and care. We saw leadership, flexibility, and heart.
This gathering began as a shared dream—to ensure families would not go hungry and could experience joy during the holidays. With the leadership of community champions, the support of partners and sponsors, and the dedication of countless volunteers and donors, that dream grew into something powerful. Love was felt. Hope was restored.
Las Posadas reminded us that El Futuro is not just a place—it is a relationship. A beautiful engagement between our organization and the community we serve, rooted in trust, solidarity, and mutual care.
To everyone who planned, donated, volunteered, cooked, decorated, shared resources, spread the word, brought loved ones, or simply showed up: thank you. You made this night possible. You brought smiles to children. You created warmth in the cold.
Mil gracias a todos.
El Futuro showed up for our community—and once again, our community showed up for El Futuro.
Special thank you to our sponsors Castillo Immigration Law and Latino Servi-Tax for your support and contribution to make this event unforgettable for our community.
Alvely Alcántara, LCSW
Rossy C. Garcia, MEd 
Katy Sims, MD 
Everardo Aviles, LCSW, LCAS (Eve)
As a medical anthropologist and social work researcher, Dr. Gulbas’ research embodies interdisciplinarity through the integration of applied theories of health and human development with qualitative and ethnographic methodologies. Her work seeks to understand how people—children, families, and providers—navigate complex sociocultural landscapes in the pursuit of mental health. Most of her work, to date, focuses attention on developing more robust interpretations of suicide risk. With funding from the National Institutes of Mental Health, this body of research has contributed to advancements in theoretical and empirical knowledge of the broader contexts within which youth suicide risk is situated. 
R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez is a developmental psychologist and an assistant professor of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the principal investigator of a study that examines the impact of immigration-related threat and stress on school communities. She earned a PhD in developmental psychology from Columbia University and hold a BA in human biology from Stanford University. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first gen college student.
Dr. Parra-Cardona is an Associate Professor in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work (SHSSW) at the University of Texas at Austin. At the SHSSW, he serves as Coordinator for Mexico and Latin American initiatives. He also serves as Area Director for Research at the UT Austin Latino Research Institute. Dr. Parra-Cardona’s program of research is focused on the cultural adaptation of evidence-based parenting interventions for low-income Latinx populations in the US and Latin America.
Bianka Reese, PhD, MSPH is a research scientist and program evaluator specializing in adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her previous research in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her work as the Research and Evaluation Manager at SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led largescale evaluations of multilevel, community-based sexual health promotion initiatives and research projects aimed at elevating the voices of diverse youth in North Carolina. Dr. Reese is currently the Senior Research Strategist at Creative Research Solutions, LLC, an award-winning national evaluation, research, and assessment firm.
Tania Connaughton-Espino, MPH is an independent researcher focused on adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her interest in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her previous work with SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led the training and evaluation department, conducted capacity-building workshops for youth serving professionals including on the topic of how to be more affirming of LGBTQ youth, and from her extensive experience working with the Latinx population in NC.
Maru Gonzalez, EdD is an Assistant Professor and Youth Development Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North Carolina State University. Her areas of inquiry include youth development with a focus on activism, social justice, and the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people across familial, school, and community contexts. 
Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, PhD
Hector Y. Adames, PsyD