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Quality of Life

San Diego nonprofit celebrates Cesar Chavez Day by improving affordable senior housing

Every year San Diego’s Chicano Federation commemorates Cesar Chavez Day with a day of service.

The nonprofit’s CEO, Liz Ramirez, said the holiday held extra significance for her and her loved ones.

“My family is a long-standing family of Latin workers. My grandparents worked in the field — they actually immigrated through the Bracero Program," she said. "My tía abuela, who is 97 years old, actually marched with Cesar Chavez.”

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Volunteers help to beautify the Vista Serena Senior Apartments, March 31, 2023.
Jacob Aere
/
KPBS
Volunteers help to beautify the Vista Serena Senior Apartments, March 31, 2023.

This year, the Chicano Federation beautified the Vista Serena Senior Apartments in San Diego’s Stockton neighborhood.

“Our volunteers are cleaning it up now, but we painted this entire room,” Ramirez said while walking through the building. “We also built some furniture. And this again will be our community space where our seniors will be receiving a lot of support services.”

The property is one of nine apartment complexes that the Chicano Federation owns and manages through its Affordable Housing Program. It’s one of three specifically for seniors.

Vista Serena Apartments is home to nearly 30 people, including Margarita Navarro, who is thankful for the improvements.

“We have these boxes with vegetables there now. And they did a lot in the time they had,” Navarro said in Spanish. “I think they have been here for about four hours, and the garden already looks different. Inside they have already finished freshly painting and added furniture. They've even mopped already!”

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Margarita Navarro speaks with Liz Ramirez at Vista Serena Senior Apartments, March 31, 2023.
Jacob Aere
/
KPBS
Margarita Navarro speaks with Liz Ramirez at Vista Serena Senior Apartments on March 31, 2023.

More than 40 volunteers from multiple organizations helped paint and refurbish a multipurpose room, build outdoor benches, and plant a succulent and vegetable garden Friday morning.

“And to me this is very, very personal,” Ramirez said. "You know, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, they all connected — and, really, the biggest thing is that they brought community together."

The Chicano Federation does this kind of work each year on Cesar Chavez Day at one of its properties most in need.

Ramirez said improving the lives of people like Navarro is the essence of what Cesar Chavez Day means to her and the organization.