Orlando/Apopka, Florida
The
unique site is located just ten miles northwest of Orlando in the community
of Apopka and reaches out to a low-income community
of migrant farm workers, immigrants, the working poor, and their families.
The families are primarily of Hispanic, Haitian, and African-American
descent. Members are afforded a great deal of latitude and are encouraged
to identify where community needs intersect their skill sets. If you want
to work deeply in a community that is culturally rich and economically
poor, this is the place for you!
We are currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 Service Year.
Site Director: Ann Kendrick, SND
Phone: 407-886-5151 - E-mail: apopka@ndmva.org
Website: http://www.offm.org/
The Orange County Public Schools
The Orange County Public Schools are Elementary, Middle, and High
Schools that serve a highly diverse population of students in Apopka.
Here, NDA members tutor and mentor students both one-on-one and in small
groups. These members also provide out-of-class cultural enrichment experiences,
life skills learning and other enrichment activities in the schools' after-school
programs as well as the after-school tutoring program sponsored by the
Office for Farmworker Ministry. If you are interested in working with
teenagers in both academic and non-academic settings, this is a great
assignment for you.
Office for Farmworker Ministry
Office for Farmworker Ministry (OFFM) is a family of
organizations working with Hispanic, Haitian, and African-American migrant
and seasonal farm workers and other low-income families. Member(s) assigned
to work at OFFM have the opportunity to take on a number of roles depending
upon interest and skills, including: directing the after-school tutoring
program discussed above; teaching citizenship education, GED preparedness
and parenting classes; participating in conflict resolution; counseling;
economic development; and the formation of youth communities. If you are
a self-starter with creative energy, this is a good placement for you.
Check out the OFFM website at http://www.offm.org for additional information.
Justice and Peace Office, Inc.
Justice and Peace Office, Inc., established in 1977, has created the Apopka Family Learning Center. AFLC works to empower a multi-ethnic population in Apopka to bring about change in their lives and communities. Basic education, family literacy and workplace literacy, and English as A Second Language are provided through the GROWS (Greater Reading or Writing Skills) Literacy Council, NDA members serve as teachers to both children and adults in the programs described below.
• Grows is the family literacy division of the Justice and Peace Office Inc. Members serve in two different positions in this program. The first is a teaching position in a pre-school class with primarily Hispanic children ages 2-4 years old. The second is teaching English as a Second Language classes to adults. The members teaching adults work in two settings. First is teaching ESOL to the mothers who send their children to the preschool classes. Second, is teaching ESOL in the workplace and at night classes. The vast majority of the students are Spanish speakers.
• Kids in Motion is an after-school program offered under the umbrella of the Apopka Family Learning Center (AFLC) division of the Justice and Peace Office. This is a minimal cost program that is offered to at-risk elementary school children in Apopka. NDA members serve as teachers and mentors to the children in this program. They also assist in the coordination of holiday programs, plays, events, and parties.
Pennies for Power Youth Credit Union
Pennies for Power Youth Credit Union - Community Trust
Federal Credit Union was chartered to serve the financial needs of the
low-income migrant Farmworker community. The credit union now boasts $4.5
million in assets and 2,500 members providing savings, credit and financial
counseling. The youth credit union "Pennies for Power," a successful
addition to CTFCU, recruits and trains farm worker youth to develop skills
and interests in financial matters. This position is for a business-minded,
open-hearted individual interested in growing membership in the youth
credit union, educating members, training youth to become tellers, and
advancing the Individual Development Account program.
Harbor House
Harbor House is a domestic violence shelter. Members serve as advocates in the shelter or the courthouse. Members also will work with the children at the shelter.
Life as a Member in Apopka
Having your own transportation is a major asset since public transit in Apopka is limited, but if you are willing to walk, ride a bike and/or make connections with people who do have their own cars, you can survive without a car. Our team in Apopka consists of people from outside the area as well as local community members and it is very diverse racially, socio-economically, educationally, age and gender-wise
Notre Dame Mission Volunteers - Americorps
403 Markland Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21212
Phone:(410) 532-6864 - Fax: (410) 532-2418
