One cold day in 2007 I was headed to work when I spotted my neighbor from up the street Johanny Cepeda- Freytiz walking on the Penn Street Bridge and I stopped and offered a ride. On that day I learned that my neighbor was the new owner of Mi Casa Su Casa. In appreciation for the ride she offered me a cup of coffee and that was my first ever cup of Dominican coffee, it was delicious, I was hooked. It’s all history after that. I didn’t realize that we would become great friends and that I also a few years later would enter the entrepreneurial world. We started calling each other “vecina” (it means neighbor in Spanish) and still do to this very day.
I’m honored to hear that Johanny my “vecina” has been recently appointed to be a representative for the 6th district. Throughout the years I know all she has sacrificed and struggled to be where she is today. Johnny is what I call “old school” because she doesn’t mind rolling up her sleeves and getting dirty. That’s what I like about her she represents both white and blue collar workers all in one and always with a big smile, not everyone can do that.
Still today she owns and operates Mi Casa Su Casa Café, and has also the second spot in Shillington Farmers Market, and in almost every festival she has a table set up and she likes to connect the dots within her community. I also like that she doesn’t take all the credit to herself as she always mentions that she runs a family business as her husband Felix is always by her side as well as her parents, and even her cousins. I hope that this position will lead to greatness for our city as Johanny is a great asset and a fighter and deserves the opportunity to help our city grow and bring awareness to the multiculturalism needs of our community. Congratulations to my neighbor!
Por Rosa J. Parra
