Mentorship Month
In honor of National Mentoring Month, HDS Foundation would like to shine a light and highlight Dr. Tara Rowe, Co-founder of the University of North Florida’s Transition to Healthiness, Resourcefulness, Independence, Vocation, and Education (THRIVE) Program. Dr. Rowe is the ultimate mentor of the THRIVE Program and has made a positive impact on many of the THRIVE students to help with the transition from high school to college life.
UNF’S THRIVE Program ensures that UNF students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have a successful college experience. Mentors in the THRIVE program focus on social skills, independence and responsible living, and career development skills.
The HDS Foundation College Mentors Program has partnered with UNF THRIVE to support their mission with students living with ASD, or related disabilities who are seeking a College Degree and are living at a University or College Campus. This program helps students meet these needs by addressing the social and emotional challenges that interfere with academic learning and creating viable daily activities that mitigate those circumstances and help these individuals build strong interpersonal skills. It further explores the contributions these students can make to become the catalyst of change needed in our society to adapt to differences in learning styles, career structures, and social relationships.
We are proud to highlight all the great mentors that are a part of UNF THRIVE Program and the positive role they play in the lives of so many students. Mentors create powerful and trusting relationships with young people to help them feel empowered, supported, and understood when they need someone to encourage them.
“A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could. “(Zig Ziglar)
B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Hammer Away!
Last Friday, our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Builders were back at work, but this time they were building a toolbox! Students came prepared with safety googles, nails, glue wood pieces ready to hammer away. We have never seen them more excited! As facilitators Kathy Gorman-Gard and Donna Mansolillo gave step-by-step instructions, the class followed along listening to directions carefully and really took on their role as builders for the day.
Right from the start, students had to troubleshoot to find which method of hammering would work best to get the nails securely in the wood. Some students had to use small taps where others had to hit the nails much harder. After getting the nails in and securely fastened, the students went on to complete their toolbox! They all did a great job and now can use their toolbox to keep items organized at home.
Once the activity was completed, HDS Foundation Program Manager, Liz Falk took this opportunity to speak about the HDS Foundation “Toolbox for Success”, which was created by Cristina Gilson Miranda, HDS Foundation President & Chairman. This toolbox was created to equip students, parents, and families with the necessary tools that would help them have a smooth transition from high school to their post-secondary journey. Liz emphasized the importance of utilizing the following “tools” and how they would help them plan for a self-sufficient life: Parents and Families, Support System, Self-Advocacy, Strengths and Interests, and Community Resources.
We are so proud of our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students as they continue to work on Independence, Development, Growth & Social Skills throughout their weekly Community Based Instruction activities!
Make sure to check out our Resource page, so you can begin building YOUR Toolbox for Success!
HDS Elves at Work to Spread Christmas Cheer this Holiday Season!
If this crazy, unpredictable, and difficult year has taught us anything, it has reminded us how grateful and fortunate we all are. This holiday season, the HDS Companies has chosen to support Children’s Harbor, a foster care organization whose mission is to keep families together. Throughout this month, we have been able to donate holiday decorations, volunteer to decorate and light up the harbor, and most recently adopt an “angel” and purchase gifts for him/her through a virtual angel tree.
Due to COVID and everyone working remotely, the HDS Companies created a virtual Christmas tree filled with angel ornaments on it. Each angel had a child’s name along with their wishes. Our staff members worked really hard in making these children’s wishes come true by finding those special gifts. It was really eye opening to read some of the wishes they had made. Some were the simplest of things like bed sheets, socks, a hoodie. We were so excited that we were able to find most of their gifts online and in stores, while also being able to spread some Christmas spirit to these children!
This project brought us close together as a company by requiring a lot of teamwork. Our generous CEO, Cristina Miranda Gilson, had the vision, and we all came together to make it happen. Our HDS Foundation team members helped organize the gifts as they came in by tagging the specific angel, while also taking pictures and sending it to the Children’s Harbor facilitator and then bagging them up to be picked up. When the facilitator came by, her face immediately lit up. She was not expecting so many gifts! She was ecstatic to see that each child would be getting exactly what they wanted – gifts that they have been talking about nonstop back at the shelter.
This experience was an unforgettable one, and a great way to end the year. Purchasing these gifts for children who have never had a wish list for Christmas before made our hearts happy and hopeful that this holiday season would bring lots of smiles. HDS is committed to supporting the overall well-being of our communities through social responsibility and company values. A big thank you to the HDS elves for opening up their hearts to make this Christmas special. We would like to wish the children and employees at the Children’s Harbor a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas especially for the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Class! COVID can’t stop us from spreading holiday joy. Every holiday season our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Students participate in their class secret elf exchange which we were still able to make happen this year regardless of the circumstances. Secret Elf has been a fun Christmas tradition for kids for many years.
Prior to Thanksgiving Break, facilitators Ms. Donna and Kathy put together all of the components of this activity to make it simple for students to accomplish. Each student was given the rules and a budget of $15 for gifts. During their Community Based Instruction (CBI), the facilitators presented a PowerPoint with a variety of gift options that students could choose. A picture and the price for each gift was shown, and students marked down their top five items. This created their Wishlist. The facilitators distributed students’ lists to their respective secret elf allowing them to buy a gift they wanted. During this same CBI lesson, students also were taught how to calculate sales tax and emphasized the importance of it in order to stay under the budget.
Then, right before the students took off for Thanksgiving Break, they had to come by the school to pick up the set of rules, gift cards, gift bags, and everything else that was included for this activity. At this time, each student received their secret elf name, their secret elf’s Wishlist along with a $15 gift card to buy his/her presents. During Thanksgiving break, the students went shopping, wrapped the gifts and filled out a holiday card.
This past Friday, the students came by the school for their holiday Secret Elf gift exchange. One at a time, students came out of their car and received their gifts along with delicious treats and goodie bags from their facilitators and HDS Foundation.
We want to wish our BRIDGES students and facilitators a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!
HDS Gives Back and Spreads Joy this Holiday Season!
‘Tis the season to be Jolly! It’s the time of year where we look forward to gathering with friends and family, exchange gifts, and celebrate holiday traditions. In keeping with the spirit of giving, the HDS Companies is committed to supporting the overall well-being of our communities through social responsibility and company values. As part of our tradition to give back, HDS supports various charitable endeavors and participates in community service activities throughout the year, especially during the holiday season.
At HDS, we believe that volunteering and giving back through service projects is just as impactful as providing financial support to our communities. Whether by hosting back-to-school and toy drives, serving meals at homeless shelters, or participating in food drives that offer hot meals to homebound U.S. Veterans, seniors, and individuals with special needs, our workforce volunteer group, the HDS Contenders, enjoys giving back through volunteering.
This year has been challenging for everyone; the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed our world and financially devastated many families. During this holiday season, it will be more evident to see families struggling to make ends meet and many parents who will be unable to afford holiday gifts for their children. So how will HDS spread joy in a world of self-isolation?
The answer is: by spreading joy in safe and socially distant ways in our communities! This holiday season, HDS has chosen to support Children’s Harbor, a foster care organization whose mission is to keep families together. The Harbor ensures that brothers and sisters as well as pregnant or parenting teen moms and their babies can live together in a safe and loving home while in foster care. Throughout December, HDS Contenders will be purchasing toys and gift cards for the children through a virtual angel tree. We will be making a special delivery to ensure that those served by the Harbor have a memorable holiday. Together with other Harbor community partners, HDS has donated holiday decorations, and our volunteers will help decorate and light-up the Harbor.
Over the last 22 years, giving back has been at the heart of HDS and has always been a part of our company’s mission. We are grateful for our HDS Contender volunteers who have become this year’s Harbor Keepers.
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