Program Highlights
The Service Moves:
Page 2
“Find yourself, by losing yourself in service to others.”
Hispanic Community Service Inc. AmeriCorps
member Marc Smith says, “After serving at HCSI
for the past few months, I feel that I have learned
and grown a great deal. Before coming here I had
little experience dealing with other people’s needs
and had never had to cooperate with others to get
tasks done in this type of environment. I think that
my time at HCSI has taught me valuable lessons in
teamwork as well as greatly improved my people
skills. I also believe HCSI has helped to prepare me
for the future as far as knowing how to work
through problems and communicate ideas to not
only achieve my own personal goals, but also to
help others. My experience at HCSI has been an
invaluable opportunity to learn so many things,
and I have no doubt that what I have learned will
prove beneficial to me in the future.”
Teen Action & Support Center AmeriCorps
Member Emily Gilbertson says “When I first
started conducting mentoring sessions with one of
the First Steps members, she was very quiet and
reserved. Each time I saw her I tried to find
different ways to connect and make her feel
comfortable. Slowly but surely she started opening
up to me. I found out how much of a struggle
having two children at such a young age was for
her. She told me how much of a blessing First Steps
was for her and finding a job so she can become a
provider and example for her children. This tells
me that participating in First Steps has helped put
her in a position for up-ward mobility. She is
building a life for herself and her children that she
can be proud of.”
Emily Gilbertson (Center) of TASC, with students preparing to
wrap gifts collected for teens.
Glendaliz Torres (Right) in discussion at this years Annual
Summit 2014 round table session.
Our House, Inc. Glendaliz Torres is our AmeriCorps member that serves with the child development center
Toddler Classroom. When many of the children move into Our House with their parents, they are going through
some pretty serious stress and trauma. So when they enroll in our child development center they sometimes act
on that stress and trauma – by acting out, crying or being shy. Recently we enrolled a boy in the toddler
classroom who had never been outside of his mothers’ sight in his 2 years of age. When the mother had to
leave the young boy with Little Learners, it was quite the shock for him. He cried and cried… all day. Nothing
would soothe him until his mother would come to pick him up at 5:30. Glendaliz put a lot of time in her efforts
to get the boy accustomed to his new environment and in figuring how to calm him while his mother was away.
She began making small goals. Invested her heart and skills into the boys improvement, and slowly but surely he
came around. Glendaliz turned this difficult situation into a challenge and it worked! Her positive, never give up
attitude and dedication got this boy to open up. Creating avenues changed this little boy’s life as he realized
that there were a lot of fun things to do with the other kids in the classroom and it opened up countless doors
for teaching moments in the young developing child's life.