HDS Celebrates 22 Years of Commitment
Dear valued client and industry partners and HDS Family,
This year we celebrate 22 years of commitment to affordable housing and community development, bringing technology and service solutions to this industry. Our mission for over two decades has been to support this market and the initiatives of our agency clients and partners. We thank you for being part of our success and value the trust you have placed in us while supporting your business and community goals.
The HDS Companies team that includes Housing and Development Software, eHousingPlus and the HDS Foundation is 22 years strong. Today more than ever, we are committed to continue to strengthen and grow these business lines in support of yours. Community is at the core of who we are, and today, we the HDS Team invite you to celebrate our vision for the future.
Cristina
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
Theodore Roosevelt
ASDY Tech Reunites Through Zoom
Our HDS Companies ASDY-Tech (Autism Spectrum Disorder Young Adult Technicians) team joined us for a Zoom “Party” to surprise their mentor, Terri Scharnow. Everyone was so happy to see one another after being in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Program Managers, Meagan Bouscher and Liz Falk, PR Consultant, Rixys Alfonso, and Cristina Miranda Gilson, CEO of HDS Companies and Chairman & President of the HDS Foundation, and Paloma Miranda, HDS Foundation Advisory Board Member all joined in. They enjoyed a great afternoon together, sharing stories and laughs.
Each of the ASDY Tech young adults shared what they have been doing to keep themselves occupied during the COVID 19 pandemic. Mike was happy to share that he interviewed for a potential job opportunity with Hallmark. He is keeping his fingers crossed and is looking forward to hearing back from Hallmark so that he can begin working very soon.
Marco participated in a job fair and applied for employment with an optical company. Although the situation did not work out, he has decided it is best to wait until after the COVID-19 pandemic ceases. He will use his time at home to do some online learning, make YouTube, and Tik-Tok videos, watch movies, and play video games.
Gabe has found it very challenging to find his ideal job during the shut-down. After attempting to find employment over the last three months, Gabe has realized that many companies are hiring delivery drivers due to the pandemic. He has considered taking a delivery job until he finds a role in his desired line of work.
Miguel has been busy writing a bilingual blog entitled, “Miguel’s Sports Blog.” His blog focuses on sports in South Florida and around the world. Miguel writes the blogs in English and Spanish and showcases pictures of the different sporting events. He also participated in a virtual orientation with Sheridan Technical School to learn more about the various programs they had to offer in the fall. He is considering starting at Sheridan and would like to study Computer Programming.
During our Zoom Party, we also discussed current news happenings and events, as well as ways to stay safe during the pandemic. Everyone agreed they could not wait until things resumed back to some kind of “normal.” Terri was thrilled to see and hear from her mentees and was so happy to see they all had plans of either getting a future job or going back to school to further their education. A next Zoom get together is in the works to keep everyone in touch.
HDS Foundation Highlights Cypress Bay B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Student
In today’s edition of the HDS Foundation’s B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Student Spotlight, we are highlighting Sam, an upcoming 11th grader at Cypress Bay High School. During his time in quarantine, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Sam participated in online learning classes and blossomed every step of the way. He felt that creating his schedule and working at his own pace made completing tasks much easier. He does miss socializing with his peers and is looking forward to seeing his classmates again very soon.
Now that summer is here, Sam is planning on doing the things he enjoys at home, such as relaxing, watching YouTube videos, and playing video games with his brothers. He’s also looking forward to getting involved in competitive Pokemon challenges during his free time this summer.
Sam is very personable and enjoys conversing in just about any subject matter. Although he is very outgoing, Sam is working on handling pressure in stressful situations and becoming more focused and organized when it comes to the deadlines he needs to meet for his school assignments.
The Social Personal Skills (B.R.I.D.G.E.S.) class is Sam’s favorite class at school. He feels that it has helped him find real friends during his experience in high school. Sam always knew how to interact in most social scenarios, but he could not find an environment where he could make lasting friendships until his experience in this class. His favorite part of the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program is participating in the weekly Community Based Instruction field trips that take place at different venues throughout the community. Sam stated, “there is nothing more fun than going out someplace with your friends.”
In the last quarter of the school year, students participated in a mock interview process. During this experience, they learned how to fill out job applications, practiced interview communication skills, and learned the importance of proper attire when seeking employment. When Sam graduates from high school, he plans to attend college and major in Computer Science; he feels that the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program has allowed him to learn the life skills that will help him attain gainful employment once he completes his post-secondary education.
All of us at the H.D.S. Foundation are very proud of Sam, and all of his achievements. Next year, he will continue to participate in the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program; we look forward to another fantastic year with Sam and his classmates.
Cypress Bay B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Student Spotlight
In today’s edition of our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Student Spotlight, we are highlighting Matt. He is a graduate of the Cypress Bay High School Class of 2020. Matt is an avid sports fan and follows everything related to sports. On any given day, Matt wears his favorite college or N.F.L. sports team t-shirt. He was always ready to talk about the latest football, baseball, or basketball game that took place over the weekend and discuss who and how the team won the game.
One of Matt’s strengths is being outgoing; he enjoys socializing with his classmates. Although he was able to adapt to the change of virtual learning, he missed interacting with his friends at school. During his free time, Matt enjoys playing basketball and competing on the X.B.O.X. with his friends.
Matt has participated in the Social Personal Skills B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program for two years. He feels the experiences he had by participating in B.R.I.D.G.E.S. has helped him to learn new life skills that will benefit him as he transitions into his post-secondary journey. Matt has learned how to manage his money and how to use a debit card through the weekly Community Based Instruction (C.B.I.) trips he and his classmates participated in each week. He enjoyed the C.B.I. experiences and learning new skills while socializing with his friends.
As a high school graduate, Matt is now preparing to begin the Project Search one-year program at a local Memorial Healthcare System Hospital in the fall. His passion for meeting and helping people has made him want to work in a restaurant or hospital after he completes the program.
We are very proud of Matt and all his accomplishments throughout his High School years, and we wish him all the best as he begins his post-secondary journey.
Cypress Bay B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Parents Find Out “What’s Out There”
In a blink of an eye, four years go by and students are ready to graduate, while many parents find themselves planning what their child’s future will look like after high school. This time can be very stressful for both the student and the parents. With that being said, HDS Foundation Program Manager Liz Falk, coordinated a parent meeting with Project 10 Transition Education Network and Cypress Bay B.R..I.D.G.E.S facilitators where parents learned about the many options and resources available for their child to help ease the transition process.
The theme of this meeting was: What’s Out there? A Look at Transition-Related Resources in Florida and Beyond (Resources Related to Post-School Options and Activities). Project 10’s Regional Transition Representative, Lisa Friedman-Chavez, went into detail about the different resources for individuals with disabilities. The resources discussed were related to postsecondary education and training, employment and benefits planning, understanding the transfer of rights and resources related to guardianship and decision–making alternatives, and many educational opportunities and community resources to support secondary transition. As Lisa provided a wealth of information on each resource, parents started to ask questions. Lisa was able to guide the parents and offered to speak to them in more detail after the meeting.
Towards the end of the meeting, Christian Giraldo from Florida Network on Disabilities Youth Advocate for Parent Education Network joined in and discussed his role and emphasized the importance on educating and empowering students and their families to become self-advocates.
As we wrapped up the meeting, parents expressed their gratitude to be able to be a part of this meeting. At first, they felt very overwhelmed with the amount of information they had just learned about, but they were also very glad to know that there were so many resources and options available for their children.
The HDS Foundation would like to thank Lisa Friedman-Chavez and Christian Giraldo for taking the time to meet with the parents and help guide them in making the best decisions for their children!
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