Gads Hill Center
An Interview with Nayade Chota,
Family Support Worker & Volunteer Mentor
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What do you do at Gads Hill
Center?
I'm a Family Support Worker with Parents as First Teachers.
We work with low-income families with small children, providing
books, toys, and guidance to help them learn to be their child's first teacher.
Tell me about what
you do with families.
I connect them to resources they need, whether it's finding
a dentist, helping parents set goals for their lives, or assistance with
immigration and public aid.
Once recently, a family called; their child had a bad ear
infection. I connected them with an otolaryngologist. They had trouble navigating
the medical system, so I did some interpreting from English to Spanish, and
helped them navigate the bureaucracy. The child got tubes put in her ears, and
is healthy now.
I also do home visits with five families in Parents as First
Teachers. I spend time with them and bring a new book or educational toy twice a week,
modeling how to become a guide for their child.
You're also
volunteering as a mentor in Gads Hill's New Horizons program.
Yes. I'm mentoring an eleven-year-old girl. She's a smart
kid, but really quiet. I used to be a shy kid myself, even though I'm pretty
outgoing now. I see a lot of myself in her - she's a middle child, stuck just
like me between two brothers. We play games, work on her homework, anything to
help her get comfortable. I'll ask her what she'd like
to talk about, and she'll reply, "But I'm shy!" It's rewarding to see her come
out of her shell and start to see me as a sister.
What do you get out of it?
Mentoring is time away from my busy schedule, and it gives me
such a rush of energy. Two hours, it's nothing compared to a whole life. I'm so
grateful for the chance to make a difference in my mentee's life. I think about
where I was at her age and where my nieces and nephews are, and I'm so glad I
had someone looking out for me. I'm glad to be there for my mentee so that she can pass it on when
she's my age. |
Get to know us better...
Visit our website at www.gadshillcenter.org or consider coming to see our work first-hand by visiting our center. For more information, email info@gadshillcenter.org or call
Noah at 312.226.0963 ext. 241.
Or, help make a difference to the families we serve. Donate now through our secure online donation system. We appreciate your continued support.
Consider attending our May 6th Gala - read more here. |
We Need You!
..... well, we at least need your stuff. Gads Hill is
hosting a silent auction at our May 6 Strengthening the Fabric of
Families event at the Chicago Cultural Center. Do you have... - Theatre tickets
- A vacation home
- A special service
- A behind the scenes tour of a Chicago neighborhood, business, museum, or landmark
- Frequent flier miles
- Jewelry
... that you would like to donate? Please call or email Lauren at 312.226.0963 ext. 242 or lwesley@gadshillcenter.org
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