“Poverty is a lack of options” Dr. John KempWe at SETA are working to enrich the lives of other people and to give them the options that they lack. The out of work father we show ways to gain employment and support his family. The teen mother afraid of losing her future, we provide a safe place for her child so she can pursue her dreams and create a better future for her child. The lives that we as one agency enrich are endless. It is not always easy and it can be hard work, but anything worth doing usually requires effort. Speaking of hard work…

This week I got to visit the Job Corps Head Start Site. Veronica Jones gushed about how proud she is of her staff and the great things they are doing. Once a month they have a musician “Professor”Paul come teach the children music and songs. Veronica  leads cultural dances and events for the families, one year she even did a native dance from Guatemala. She also makes custom pinatas, currently on display is a 4 foot tall replica of Olaf from Frozen.  Susan just got her master teacher certificate. Kazoua teaches the children yoga every Thursday. Veronica is proud of her staff as they serve both Head Start and Early Head Start Families. Walking through the site it was very clear that they all took a great deal of pride in their site. Keep enriching the lives of those families: Veronica P., Iris, Veronica L. Veronica J., Corinne, Elena, Lizet, Randle, Carley, Susan, Ambar, and Ali.

I also had the chance to visit Solid Foundations, The first thing I learned about was the gardening and cooking program for the children. Blanche was washing the colored chard they had just picked from the garden that would later be cooked and served to the children. The garden had lettuce, chard, arugula, and Brussel sprouts. Daratha likes to encourage the children to try different fresh vegetables. Eleanor (FSW) does a great job of taking care of the 80 kids at the site. She is very organized and stays on top of the changes while remaining friendly to the parents and the rest of the team. As a whole the team works together supporting each other and are never afraid to pitch in or support each other, every one is willing to go the extra mile. Thank you very much: Daratha, Nhugn, Nancy, Inemo, King, Crystal, Maria, Eleanor, and Blanche.

Bonnie Bilger visited Freedom Park on Wednesday January 28, from 9:00 -11:15 a.m. David Hughes (New Site Supervisor) gave her a full tour of the facility and made sure that she met every member of the staff. David is very please how his team is coming together. He had written a letter of introduction to all of the parents and is continuing the programs setup by Patricia Marshall, the previous Site Supervisor, such as monthly activities for parents and staff. Bonnie was able to observe some good circle time activities, and Ger Thao and Evon Hernandez each shared with her some of the teaching techniques they use in the classroom. Thank you to all of the staff at Freedom Park: David, Gwendolyn, Ger, Sadat, Thuthao, Kimthuy, Carol, Alexandra, Nydia, Evon, Bambi, Della, Augusta, Maurice, Tomeki, and Candy.

One department that has not been mentioned in previous reflections is Facilities. I would be remiss to not highlight some of the excellent work they do. For example I was told how Ali is considered a VIP guest by the children at Job Corps.

Now for a shameless plug: Ellen Fransz (Staff Development and Training Officer) has showed me 2015 year program for the Wellness program. I am really excited by the things she has planned to enrich the lives of staff and help all of us improve our health.

I have appreciated the feedback I have received regarding these emails, please continue to reach out with your thoughts and suggestions.

Respectfully,John Allen
HR Department Chief