Heart House Herald Online Newsletter

There is something refreshing about starting a new school year. There is a buzz of energy around new faces and possibilities. It has become clear to us as we continue to work with our children, that they enjoy what Heart House offers them—educationally, socially, emotionally. We are lucky to have the fortunate and unique opportunity to provide support, friendship, and growth to these youthful faces, the faces of the future.

This year, we will be focusing on our Citizenship Goals which emphasize the value of respect and responsibility. Children will have some wonderful opportunities to earn rewards for meeting and exceeding their goals this year, including the opportunity to earn a free pair of sneakers from Shoes for Austin and the ability to redeem positive points for fun and interesting items in our monthly “Heart House Store”.

I am also thrilled to introduce the addition of several enrichment programs to our fall and spring “line up”. This year, several talented people will offer the children unique opportunities to grow artistically, socially, and culturally. Two choice activities that will begin in late fall include the “Believe in Me” Movement program and Spanish class. We are confident that offering the children the chance to become involved in these programs will allow students a variety of platforms to express themselves and to understand and appreciate new experiences. Heart House children have a wealth of talent and skill that is anxiously waiting to be discovered and nourished!

This year, there is no doubt that Heart House will continue to be a place of safety, hope, and inspiration….and add to that….FUN….for children, volunteers, and staff alike. With some new faces, new programs, and a renewed vision, we have begun a new school year with wide smiles and open hearts.

To a new beginning, new dreams, and new friendships!

Monica Armendariz
Program Director

Michel was born in Tanzania, Africa in June of 1996. He and his family moved to Kenya soon after he was born. His parents are originally from Rwanda and have lived in several surrounding countries within Africa. Michel and his family moved to the United States in 2004.

As a result of moving around so much as a young child, Michel speaks four different languages: Swahili, French, Kikuyu, and English. He is currently learning Spanish, and has an amazing aptitude for learning new languages. His English is excellent, and he is a fantastic reader and writer.

Michel enjoys soccer, playing video games, reading, watching cartoons, and of course, learning new languages. He loves spending time with his younger siblings and reading to them at night. Michel takes excellent care of his younger sister who also attends Heart House. He is a very responsible young man.

All around, Michel is a great student at Heart House. He is always positive, ready to work on his homework, and eager to participate in the activities at Heart House. He is a wonderful athlete and makes great grades at school. He has been a model Heart House student and we have enjoyed all that he has added to the program! Thanks for being such a good example, Michel!

Congratulations to Heart House's Volunteer Coordinator, Shana Fox!

Shana will be starting graduate school at Texas State University to get her Masters in Social Work. We are pleased that she will continue to supervise our (fabulous!) volunteer program while studying for her degree.

Shana is a native Texan, and has dedicated her professional life to progressive change within local communities. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Anthropology and Environmental Conservation. While in college, she volunteered at an after school program for at risk youth for two years, and has since, always wanted to be involved with after school programs.

Shana joined the Heart House staff last year, and comes to us from the grassroots environmental movement in Austin. After five years of election and campaign work, she has learned all about coordinating volunteers, and is honored to bring her experience into this community. Her commitment to children's education and to the betterment of society is what drives her to do the work that she loves.

This month at Heart House, we are exploring the theme, "My Family" to answer the question, "How does my family influence my past and my future?"

We'd like to thank this month's sponsor, Lynda Baker and MeetingSolution.

MeetingSolution creates interactive meeting environments and utilizes effective group dynamics techniques and visual aids to produce high quality information in a compressed time period. MeetingSolution’s goal is to work in partnership with clients to increase active meeting participation, creatively promote dialogue, and build sustainable consensus.

You can securely enter your online donation using your credit card through our partnership with Groundspring.org. You may choose to give a one-time donation or a recurring monthly or annual donation. Your information is kept private and secure, and will not be shared nor sold.

Clockwise from above:

A neighborhood officer from the Austin Police Dept. shows the older students of Heart House a video about how to avoid dangers while being home alone.

Another friend from the Austin Police Dept. discusses the importance of home alone safety and being aware of strangers, in this month's safety lesson.

A volunteer helps with Enereida with her challenging math homework.

Thank you to our many donors and friends who donated funds, time, and talent to our organization this month! For more information on donating to Heart House, please visit our website at http://www.hearthouse.org/donate.htm.

New and Continuing Donors:

Amy Wilson
Andy Land
CeCe Ridder
Cristal Pitts
Cynthia Kitteredge
Dana Hallmark
Debora and Steve Yang
Diane Cannon
Donna & Gregory Burt
Erica Alejandro
Gaynor Newton
Joan Crowe
Kaitlyn Lundrigan
Keith & Nancy Graves
Kelly & Julie Kocurek
Loretta Larson
Margo B. Sack
Marny Lifshen
Mitchel and Meggan Friedman
Ritika Gunnar
Ryan Wilson
Shuba D. Karnik, M.D
Sprint United Management
Stacy Ehrlich
Linda and Stephen Oprendek III
Sunil Patel
Tony and Amanda Taylor
Urton Anderson

Collaborators:

Believe in Me
Green Corn Project
American Charities
Austin Police Dept.
Dell "One Community" Teams
Lynda Baker
City of Austin