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Flora is our Bilingual Medical Office Receptionist and part of our Behavioral Health team. She loves supporting our staff in anyway she can to help make their jobs easier. In honor of Women's History Month, she highlights the women who have influenced her life the most and shares why we need more women in leadership roles. What is your favorite part of your experience with Association House? I love my job, the best experience is connecting with all staff by trying to make their jobs easier by getting what they need. It can be office supplies, information, snacks, dancing with them, and having fun as part of their mental health and well-being. I know many of them must go out in the field while I am indoors all day, so anything I can do to help them is what I enjoy doing the most. I know they take good care of our participants, but who takes care of them here? That is what I will miss most when I retire in April. Is there a woman that has influenced you the most in your life? My mother, Maria with her hard-working ethics as a mother of 16 children (I am #14) and she did a great job. She never worked outside of the home but she always helped by selling food in our neighborhood. She also helped by selling a lot for her church so they could buy their first church building. She made sure we all went to camp for two summers not knowing English very well. Why do we need more women in leadership? Women are needed in leadership because we tend to see the whole picture, we are multitaskers, hard workers; we see and do everything and are not afraid to try. This helps them become better leaders.

CHICAGO (CBS Chicago/CBS News) -- Will Smith apologized to Chris Rock Monday for slapping him at the Oscars the night before – saying he was "out of line" and "wrong." "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong," Smith wrote. "I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness." "Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally," he added. Meanwhile as CBS 2's Steven Graves reported, Monday night, young people in Chicago are using this moment as a jumping point for discussions about broader issues. "I was talking about this with my roommate and my friends and my family," said Damayanti Wallace, 21, who is from Chicago and is now studying film in Los Angeles. Smith slapped Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, starring in fictional sequel to the 1997 film "G.I. Jane." Pinkett Smith, who announced several years ago that she has alopecia — an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss — shaves her head. After returning to his seat, Smith yelled at Rock to "keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth." "I don't have any negative feelings about it," Wallace said. "Like I mean, it happened, and we saw both of their apologies." But Wallace sees the incident as an avenue to many discussions. "This is a class conversation as much as it is a race conversation, and as much as it is a critique of comedy," Wallace said. Wallace said she does not condone violence, but examined the situation from all perspectives. "What we also have to recognize is like, the people we put on these pedestals are human," Wallace said. "I think what we really saw was like a breaking point." So how do solve conflict before reaching that breaking point? It's a topic of discussion among Jemina Lyle's high school students. "This generation of kids is dealing with anxiety we have never dealt with," Lyle said. And some students couldn't help but talk about the lashing out with teachers – many, Lyle says, about how to approach conflict. "It was a variety of responses," she said. Lyle mentors teens at an alternative school called Association House in Humboldt Park - a place where zero tolerance for actions does not exist. "Because that's not realistic. Conflict happens," Lyle said. "And the important thing for parents, as well as for teachers and administrators and counselors and mentors and all those people, are to help our students; our young people try to figure out how to navigate conflict in a way that is constructive. That's why we have to give space for conversation." And an incident seen around the world is now used to teach lessons close to home. Lyle says an important part is following up, and later taking action to work on feelings that might lead to confrontation.

Elisa is our Foster Care Supervisor and part of Association House's Child Welfare team. Her favorite part of her experience is that there is a sense of community at the house. In honor of Women's History Month, she shares what this month means to her and the women who have influenced her life. What is your favorite part of your experience with Association House? My favorite experience of Association House is the sense of community. I’ve never been able to compare another job experience to the one here. It’s the good mornings from reception, maintenance, and even high school students. It is about showing up to work and being happy to be part of this community. Not only for myself but for future generations to come. What does Women’s History Month mean to you? March is not only Women’s history month but social work month as well. With that being said, I feel that it is important to take time to thank all those powerful women before me but to also slow down and give myself rest. We are often providing resources and support to families that we forget to take our own advice. Is there a woman that has influenced you the most in your life? I’m a huge fan of Selena. I think that what she did for first-generation women is amazing. She taught me to be fearless and to be myself. Representation matters, you know? She broke so many barriers at such a young age.

Going to college is difficult at 18, but going back as mom with kids is even more challenging. Like so many Association House participants, nothing could stop Matty Matiarena from furthering her career and building a better future for her family. Matty as a Social Worker wanted to learn and take more courses on Child Development while completing certifications for project management. She was juggling it all, but that still wasn’t enough for her. She continuously wanted to better herself. One day, as she was scrolling through Facebook, she came across an ad for Association House’s Tech#Ready program and saw that we were providing a Microsoft Excel program (MOS 2016). She quickly submitted her interest form and a few days later, Sawyer contacted her with an application form and entrance quiz on Microsoft Office Suites. The curriculum we have for Excel has so many different activities, lessons, pre-assessments, and post-assessments, and Matty completed all of them. There's so much information packed in there and she worked with Hind, the Tech#Ready instructor, one-on-one and outside of class time, was super thorough, and made sure she did it the right way. That’s what stood out to us, her determination. Matty felt that Hind truly cared about her success, “She would always ask the students to reach out to her if we needed any help.” Hind always went above and beyond to make sure we had the tools we needed to exceed. Matty had a computer that didn’t work well with the Excel program, so Hind was able to get Association House to provide her with a laptop to use, so Matty could finish the program. “Association House can provide the resources you need to achieve that success." Tech#Ready’s Excel program is quite challenging, but Matty never once gave up. "My Child Development courses were much easier because I had the experience and knowledge from raising three daughters, but the Microsoft Excel program (MOS 2016) was very hard for me. Hind cares about you and your learning and will take the time with her students.” Matty’s journey throughout the program hasn’t been an easy one, but she continues to persevere. Currently, Matty works at SGA Family and Youth Services as a Parent Educator and she’s part of the home-based program. She works directly with families and children, and provides home visits twice a month, resources, and assessments. Personally, I have gained more assurance and feel confident in saying I can use this program on a professional level. Matty shares how the program has allowed her to gain so much more than she expected. “It’s the way Association House supports people. It was important to me that if I enroll in this program to have a teacher and organization that’s making sure I’m learning the material they are providing. They made me feel part of Association House - I wasn't only another student. Hind was a big reason why I felt part of the house. I want to thank Association House for this opportunity because not a lot of organizations provide this type of cares about their student's success. I’m so grateful for Hind and Sawyer and their help to finish the Tech#Ready program. I didn’t know what Association House was before, but now I know that you support and help people like me to have a better outcome, to reach our goals.” We would like to thank our partner, Comcast, for making stories like Matty’s possible. Without their support to advance digital equity and help build a future for families like Matty’s this would not be possible. Our partnership has allowed students to receive the tools they need to successfully complete the Tech#Ready class. Thank you, Comcast, for believing in our mission and supporting the work we do to create better futures for our students.

Tothyanna is our CST Clinician and part of Association House's Behavioral Health team. She shares with us how working with her patients every day and seeing their progress brings her joy and makes her job rewarding. In honor of Women's History Month, she highlights the women who have influenced her life/career and shares her favorite part about working at Association House. What is your favorite part of your experience with Association House? My favorite part of my experience at AHC has to be the environment Working so closely with staff and participants, it starts to feel like a family. I started as a Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) intern, and I was able to interact with patients only during that time. Now working as the CST clinician, I get to see patients in their everyday lives and watch them work through the skills they have learned in PSR and also with the CST team. It is very rewarding. What does Women’s History Month mean to you? Women’s history month means a lot to me. I feel like it is so important that we take time to honor the fight that individuals who identify as women have made and continue to making, in order for me to be here typing this message today. Is there a woman that has influenced you the most in your life/career? There are two women who have influenced me most in my life and career, that is my mother and godmother. They both have always pushed me to be the best woman I can be and are always there to guide me in moments when I feel stuck. They continue to be women who I look forward to speaking with about good moments and bad moments.

Andrea is our Science teacher and part of Association House High School. She shares with us favorite female figure, Jane Goodall, and how the quote, "the greatest danger to our future is apathy," inspires her teachings every day. In honor of Women's History Month, she highlights the women who have influenced her life and shares why we need more women in science leadership roles. What is your favorite part of your experience with Association House? The people at Association House High School are definitely the best part about working here. We are a team of teachers, mentors, and support staff that are truly dedicated to helping our students. We learn from each other, respect each other, and care about each other. Plus we have fun together! I think students can sense this difference compared to their former educational experiences. I love that at AHHS, thanks to our smaller class sizes, I have the opportunity to get to know students and help them grow from where they are. I’m continually inspired by our students’ resilience through adversity, and I love that we can be a safe space where they can realize their potential and find success. Is there a woman that has influenced you the most in your life? I have been lucky enough to have many strong women as role models throughout my life. My family is full of strong-minded, driven, but also kind women. I remember many great teachers, especially Ms. Parker, my seventh-grade life science teacher. She encouraged me to ask questions every day, monitor stream health by collecting bugs, and first showed me pond water under a microscope. I wish I could find her to say, “Thank you!” all these years later. I also had many great coaches and got to go to college on a sports scholarship thanks to Title IX. Sports gave me confidence and perseverance. Finally, I have gotten to work with so many amazing women, who do a great job of supporting and learning from each other. Women make great teammates! Why do we need more women in leadership? I want to change this question to, “Why do we need more women in science leadership?” Science is all about making observations about the world around us, asking questions, and drawing conclusions. We need more people from diverse backgrounds and experiences in order to do better science. We need more women and minorities in science leadership. People often picture a scientist as an older, white male, and we need to change this perception. Scientific leaders drive research choices by investigating the world with which they are familiar. By having scientists with a wider background of experiences, we can ask better questions and learn so much more. Additionally, more diverse scientists can connect better with their communities through language and culture, so we can keep recruiting better scientists for our future. What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader? Growing up, I always wanted to be Jane Goodall. She was patient and observant about the natural world, loved to read, and was curious about everything, especially animals. Early in her career, she was brave and willing to go out into the jungles of Africa to make observations of chimpanzees in their natural environment. Before that, most of our knowledge about chimpanzees was based on research done in laboratories. Her years of dedicated research on chimps in the wild revolutionized how we perceive our closest primate relatives in the animal kingdom. Thereby, it completely changed how we perceive ourselves. Her research helped us feel more connected to all life on earth, and feel the responsibility to protect it. My favorite Jane Goodall quote is, “The greatest danger to our future is apathy.” That quote inspires my teaching every day.

Hind is our Technology Training instructor for our Tech#Ready program and part of Association House Workforce Development. Her favorite part of her experience is that every day she gets to meet people from all over the country and experience new cultures. In honor of Women's History Month, she shares what this month means to her and why we need more women in leadership. What is your favorite part of your experience with Association House? During my work here at the Association House of Chicago, I enjoy getting to know more people from different countries around the world every day. I like how we all agree, no one looks at the other as different, on the contrary, our differences mean diversity. Here you can learn about new cultures, new traditions, and food. My workplace represents a small world full of kindness, compassion, cooperation, appreciation of people, and respects their humanity! What does Women’s History Month mean to you? It means to always remember that for thousands of years women have left their mark on their societies, have changed the course of history at times, and have influenced significant spheres of other's life. In all civilizations, extraordinary women from different faiths and backgrounds have worked alongside men to advance their communities. Their inspiring stories, charismatic personalities, and determination to contribute to the development of their environment make them beacons that guide young women and men today! Why do we need more women in leadership? Having more female leaders is important because female leaders change the perceived conception about who can lead and what qualities are necessary to have in a leadership position. Women bring a more complete range of the qualities modern leaders need, including self-awareness, emotional attunement, humility, and authenticity. Women in these roles help break down barriers and show everyone what women can and should achieve!

In honor of National Direct Support Professional (DSP) recognition week, Association House highlights Jovan Ocasio, one of our outstanding DSPs. Jovan was drawn to Association House when his summer job in 1994 with the mayor’s office of Workforce Development sent him to the Association House summer camp. When the camp ended, he decided to stay on as a volunteer for the Afterschool program. What initially drew you to joining the Association House family? I was drawn to the Association House When I was a teenager looking for a summer job with the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development in the summer of 1994. They sent me to work for the Association House summer camp, which was the best thing they ever did, I loved it! When the summer camp ended, I decided to stay on as a volunteer for the Afterschool program because I really enjoyed it! The following year they hired me as a permanent staff. What is your favorite part of your experience with the Association House? My favorite part is having the opportunity to work with so many families over the years and hearing success stories from the participants I used to work with and how the Association House had a big impact on their life. Who or What influenced your desire to want to be a DSP? Honestly, I never thought about becoming a DSP. I used to work with the Out of School Time Program here at the Association House until the program closed. Ellen Vazquez’s (Supervisor of the Life Skills Education Program) niece and nephews used to be participants in the Out of School Time Program because of that I got to know Ellen. When the program closed, I left the Association House for a few years. During that time, the LSE Program expanded, and more participants were coming in, so they needed another staff. That’s when Ellen contacted me and told me that there was a position open, and if I was interested, send in a resume and come in for an interview. I took a chance and was hired, and it was the best decision I made. I love being a DSP and the participants I work with. I guess you can say Ellen helped influence me to be a DSP. What has been your most fulfilling experience as a DSP? Teaching Life skills to the participants such as personal hygiene, job skills, cooking, and money management to say a few. My favorite is coaching our Athletes for the Special Olympics. I love to take the participants out to train and prepare for the competition, whether it be for Track and Field, Bowling, Softball, or Soccer. Teaching them sportsmanship, teamwork, the different skills it takes to play the sport, and that it’s not always about winning but that they do their best. The best part is when they take what you taught them to the competition, do their best, and win medals or trophies. The excitement and big smiles on their face is so rewarding.

Across our community, many families were faced with immense challenges, stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to preexisting circumstances. Through this difficult time period, the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund has enabled Association House to increase access to food through our Emergency Food Pantry and create an Emergency Financial Assistance Fund for our participants who are most in need. So far, the Emergency Financial Assistance Fund has given AHC participants over $28,000. In addition, 716 bags of groceries were distributed, while another $11,675 has been provided in gift card assistance. In total, 602 persons have been served, which covers 169 total households. Our case managers and Workforce Development Supervisor, Sawyer Knibbe, are working with families in fielding assistance request and safe distribution. “Being relatively new to the organization, AHC staff have shown me what it means to rally around the community in a time of need,” said Sawyer. “It’s been encouraging to see the team effort involved in providing food and financial assistance to our participants most affected by the pandemic. I’m grateful for the opportunity and I’d like to thank the CCT for making it all possible.” The Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund was created to support local nonprofit organizations to serve the region’s vulnerable neighbors. The coronavirus outbreak has caused a greater demand for resources and services to support neighbors and communities. The Response Fund is assisting in tackling that demand by supporting agencies. In collaboration with the City of Chicago, The Chicago Community Trust and United Way of Metro Chicago launched the Fund to unite the funds raised by Chicago’s philanthropies, corporations and individuals to be disbursed to nonprofit organizations across the region. We are thankful to be a recipient of this grant as we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every summer, Association House hosts the community for a day of fun and back to school preparation. Under the current pandemic restrictions, our traditional event could not occur, however, we successfully supported our community by transitioning our event to a giveaway. This year’s Back 2 School Backpack Giveaway provided over 500 backpacks to the community. Our team managed to serve over 200 individuals throughout the day while following COVID safety guidelines including wearing masks, marking spaces for social distancing, and hand sanitizer stations spaced in the event areas. Attendees received backpacks stuffed with school supplies along with recommended items for personal protection, including face masks and hand sanitizers. Thank you for those items that were donations from our Back 2 School Drive supported by various donor bases. Continuing the community effort, those backpacks were stuffed by our Healthy Lifestyles team and the event was assisted by volunteers and agency staff members. Thanks to everyone who assisted in making sure families and children will be prepared for remote learning to begin. You can see images from the event below.

When Yesica came to Association House, she was a single mom from the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago. She was facing unemployment and financial hardship. Yesica’s hurdles in finding stable employment included lacking confidence, creating a resume, and a three-year gap in jobs. In Yesica’s past, she was told education was not an option for her by her family and believed a professional role in banking or the financial industry was a long shot. Upon joining our Financial Careers Training Program, she was very hesitant and nervous about whether she would remain in class, and initially, she was very quiet but observant. As a result of her participation in our workforce program, Yesica’s self-confidence began to improve quickly. During a Bank Tour visit, she demonstrated leadership and improvement in public speaking in front of banking executives who were observing the candidates for their future banking roles. Yesica remained in the class, graduating with perfect attendance and high scores on all her exams. By the end of the program, she demonstrated significant professional growth, improvement in public speaking, self-confidence, and interviewing skills which helped her secure interviews weeks before the end of the training. Yesica was the first to receive multiple job offers just one day after the Financial Careers Graduation and accepted a role with our bank partner

Adriana is one of our Counselors. She provides substance use assessments as well as anger management and treatment planning. She also provides individual and group counseling services for individuals and crisis intervention services and link participants to needed support services in the community. What is your favorite part about working at Association House? My favorite part about working at Association house is being able to help others on an individual and social level. I provide education, I listen to them, and bring hope by helping them change their lives. Lastly, I enjoy being a part of someone's transformation journey. I love the environment we have at Association House, my colleagues, and my participants. How have you maintained a focus on helping our participants during COVID-19? COVID-19 has been very stressful and scary to think about for everyone, but I have been able to set boundaries limiting myself on watching or reading the news. I have used my time to focus on other things. I have encouraged others to use their time on positive leisure activities that they are able to do at home. What is a fun fact about you? I am an army veteran and I have a 10-year-old son.