Author: lespinalro100

Interning at The Center Houston during this summer has helped me achieve academic and career goals. Marketing has always been something I had an interest in, along with not-for-profit work. The Center gave me the opportunity to combine two of my passions and become more knowledgeable.

The Center is constantly fighting for social justice. I have come to learn that social justice is something that should be present in every field. However, the reality is that sometimes things are not as we imagine. The Center brings equality and opportunity to grow for adults with disabilities. Coming to work has never been so fulfilling as it has this summer, because I understood the true meaning of social justice and how it plays out in our society. I have learned that The Center fosters social justice by bringing people together! Social justice can be done in multiple steps and the most valuable one is helping someone gain a skill to break away from the injustice.

During my internship, I was assigned multiple projects. However, my favorite project was contributing the idea of hiring a job coach. I believe that teaching skills to clients to obtain jobs is as important as teaching a client the process of a job interview. This idea was something that I contributed to by making a presentation and being part of hiring someone, which was exciting.

The whole idea behind obtaining a job coach is to teach clients how to dress and answer questions during a job interview. We also keep in touch with clients because we want to make sure that they not only get a job, but also maintain it. It’s very fulfilling when a client obtains a job because of all the hard work he or she put into it.

Before starting my internship, I never worked on writing a press release that was going to be read by 11,000+ people. I wish I had known how to write one; however, at the same time it was a good learning experience to grow and learn from the professionals around me. Organizing volunteer events is something I wish I had known before, because of the details and time each one takes. During my internship, I had the opportunity to meet several volunteers whose stories were amazing and who were passionate in giving back to The Center.

Interning at The Center was a very rewarding experience for me. The level of professionalism you are exposed to makes you adapt to a fast pace of work, while recognizing the things you need to work more on. The support system from the departments was something I loved, as well as how my supervisor was always teaching me something new. The staff is welcoming and you are free to work on any project that will help you achieve your academic or career goals.

A career in marketing can be very competitive, but working for a not-for-profit organization with experienced professionals in that field can be rewarding when starting. The network that you are exposed to is large, which means you can reach out to potential mentors who are eager to help you succeed.

This opportunity would not have been possible without the WOW Social Justice fellowship and for that I am very thankful!

Lesbia ‘20

Hi everyone!

As a marketing intern at The Center, change is something I have seen and experienced during the duration of my internship. The Center promotes equality in the community for people with disabilities. As an institution, The Center is constantly looking for programs and activities that will aid their clients’ growth and bring the community together.

Here are some of the events, programs, and staff that contribute to The Center’s mission:

Weekly volunteering events

The volunteer events for the duration of the summer are planned by the intern (that’s me!). My job is to get a group of people who want to serve and learn more about The Center and are driven. Some of the volunteers we had previously are part of the ELCA Youth Gathering , a Christian church group whose commitment to The Center has been greatly appreciated. The volunteers from the ELCA Youth Gathering have been serving The Center for almost four years! During Hurricane Harvey, these volunteers helped with cleaning out the Gingersnaps workshop and also the Adult Activity Center.

Lots of changes have happen since Hurricane Harvey hit the city of Houston, including changes for The Center and its clients. As the main person in charge of the volunteering events, I always try to bring in young adults that can benefit from learning how to help those in need. Below is a picture of my youngest sibling Lia, who visited The Center during our annual Volunteer Day in June. Lia was excited to visit The Center after hearing me talk about how great the staff and clients are and the cause that we try to fight for one day at a time.

Staff

The Center makes sure that all employees are happy and love the work they do for their clients. You could not imagine how important obtaining the right staff is for an organization like The Center because of their commitment and teamwork. I was excited to be part of the hiring of the new Chief Development Officer, Marilu Garza. Obtaining someone with experience and passion for what The Center believes was something critical because of the relocation that will happen later this year. Marilu Garza brings more than twenty years experience in the not-for-profit world and education.

Gingersnaps

The Center provides work for their clients. The Gingersnaps company is partner up with  The Center Houston, providing clients with the job of packaging the cookies that are later sold online or at local farmers markets in the Houston area. A portion of the profits that Gingersnaps raises goes to The Center. The Center aims for the goal of providing clients with skills and lots of opportunities.

Progress at The Center is something that happens through the events and the amazing staff that is constantly helping the clients. The small steps that The Center takes to create a home-like environment are organizing activities and events, and having the right staff to work towards becoming a better organization every day.

Lastly, besides the small steps are the big steps The Center is currently taking, including moving to a new location.

Stay tuned to learn more about my experience!

Hello everyone! Lesbia Espinal here once again sharing my summer experience. (Thecenter.com)

Last semester, I took a class called Health, Community and Society (Sociology 191a). Taking this class opened my eyes to a world many of us sometimes do not want to admit exists: the world of social injustices. This class introduced me to many readings and one of them was called “Saving Normal.” This reading talked about how the word “normal” can have different significance depending on who defines it. The Center Houston then takes this concept of “normal” and turns it into “you choose your normal.”

The Center helps/ welcomes people with disabilities. Another thing that I learned during my sociology class was the fact that people with disabilities have this label of “sickness.” This label is just a way many people like to separate disabled people from the rest.

Social justice is one of The Center’s main goals, which is reflected in every interview, picture, and press release I write. My experience at Brandeis has taught me to fight for what is right! The Center truly appreciates their clients and being part of that is such a blessing.

Learning for me is a step closer to succeeding. It’s great that I learned about disabilities before my summer internships because now I am able to apply my knowledge to hands on work. My work at The Center mostly concentrates on awareness and planning fundraisers. Being part of the marketing team is my way of merging into the not-for-profit world, because I believe that the magic happens with a strong marketing team.

Even through difficult situations such as hurricane Harvey, The Center is still serving their clients. For almost two weeks I have been part of relocation planning for The Center. Hurricane Harvey damaged housing and the department of adult training, where clients learned skills that can help them obtain a job. The concept of helping and serving others is my favorite part of The Center, which makes me look forward to every day I spend there.

The Center is grateful to the volunteers that came out of their homes to help during Harvey. Damage caused by the hurricane led to losses in profits that go towards training clients, housing maintenance, programs and paying employees. However, every year The Center promotes the #Biketothebeach challenge. Funds raised during the race will go towards The Center foundation, which are greatly needed after Harvey.

A partner of the #Biketothebeach race creates a simulation that allows clients of The Center to also be part race challenge. The concept of healthy bodies is also something that is greatly appreciated by clients when they participate in  weekly spin classes, which are taught by volunteer of Pursuitride.

Lastly,  The Center’s vision is one of creating social justice in the community.

P.S. I got my office this week and I couldn’t be happier about it and all the work that I will be doing through the summer!