Housing and Development Services Looks Forward to B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Coming Back to the Offices Next Year
The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. field trip to the offices of Housing and Development Services on Thursday, May 17th was a great success. Ten students of Cypress Bay High School who are in the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. program visited HDS with their instructor and facilitator, Donna Mansolillo. When they arrived at the office, they were first greeted by Carla Otiniano, Program Manager of the HDS Foundation. Carla explained to the students what type of work HDS does and the different companies that make up Housing and Development Services – Housing and Development Software (HDS), eHousingPlus (eHP), and of course the HDS Foundation. Carla then brought the students to their first stop on their tour, eHP, where Naileth Garcia told them about how eHP helps with loan processing for affordable housing programs. After Naileth, the students were brought to the office of Cristina Gilson, CEO of Housing and Development Services, where they learned about the importance of an owner/operator at a company. A visit with Lorena Hernandez, Business Associate, was next. Lorena told everyone how the Business Department functions with all of the arms of the company to make things work together. Eddy Alfonso, Multi-Family Product Manager, followed with his explanation of the importance of computer programming. That led well into the next presentation made by Andrew Moffitt, Chief Technology Officer, who showed the students the server room. The last stop the students made was to the conference room. While there, Erin Batista, Manager of Office Administration, spoke to everyone about the roll of Human Resources in any company. After Erin spoke, the kids were served subs, chips, cookies, and soda for lunch. As they ate, AJ Silberman, Special Project Liaison, did a short presentation to them of how to use Microsoft Teams. Teams is a vital program tool at Housing and Development Software as it enables employees to manage and work together on various projects. To close the trip, Carla once again spoke to the students, at which time she presented Donna Mansolillo with a donation for Cypress Bay B.R.I.D.G.E.S. This donation check was a portion of the money raised at the Dan Marino WalkAbout Autism & Expo held on January 27, 2018. Donna and the students thanked Carla and Housing and Development Services for the check and also for the fun and informative field trip. Housing and Development Services looks forward to B.R.I.D.G.E.S. coming back to the offices next year.
Cypress Bay B.R.I.D.G.E.S will Visit HDS Companies
On Thursday, May 17th, students from the Cypress Bay B.R.I.D.G.E.S. (Budgeting – Resources – Independent Functioning – Development – Growth – Empowerment – Social Skills) Program will be taking a field trip to the offices of Housing and Development Services (HDS). B.R.I.D.G.E.S. is a program that was formed by the HDS Foundation at Cypress Bay through various grants. Once the students arrive at HDS, they will begin their visit with a tour of the office. At various points on their tour, they will learn more about the different positions that people have at HDS, including software development, network administration, customer service, and more. Once the tour is complete, students will be brought together for a short tutorial on one of the tools used at HDS, Microsoft Teams. This tool is integral at HDS as the employees there use Teams for collaboration on a variety of projects. Once the tutorial is complete, the students will enjoy lunch at the office. The goal of the field trip is to expose the students to different office jobs being performed today. With this information, they might be able to better decide what college degree or profession they might like to pursue after graduation. Everyone is looking forward to a fun and educational visit.
The HDS Foundation will be a part of 2018 Vision XXV Conference!
From May 2nd through May 4th, the HDS Foundation (HDSF) will partake in Visions XXV, the annual transition conference held by the Florida Division on Career Development & Transition (FDCDT). The purpose of the FDCDT is to assist individuals with exceptionalities in their career development, helping them move from school into the workforce and community living. This year will also be a celebration of 25 years of the FDCDT. At the conference it is a goal of the HDSF to gather more information on the transitioning process.
There are currently services available for those affected with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and for those only affected by developmental disabilities (DD). It is another goal of the HDSF at the Transitions conference to find out why there seem to be more programs and services for those affected by IDD then those only affected with DD. With well over 50 pre-planned and open sessions available at the conference, along with the networking opportunities amongst various industry experts who will be attending, it is hopeful that the HDSF will be able to answer these questions and more.
If you would like more information on the FDCDT or the Visions Conference, visit FloridaDCDT.org.
2018 Tropical Nights Event
On Saturday, April 28, 2018, the HDS Foundation will be partaking in Tropical Nights 2018 presented by UM-NSU CARD. UM-NSU CARD has been supporting families affected by autism and related disabilities in our local communities with impactful and invaluable resources and supportive guidance. Tropical Nights 2018 will be held aboard the SeaFair Miami, which will sail around Biscayne Bay for the evening. Along with entertainment, at this casual chic event there will be a live auction, a raffle, and of course cocktails. UM-NSU CARD is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, which is going to be celebrated on board.
The HDS Foundation is a proud Coconut Palm sponsor of this event. We will be represented by Cristina Gilson, Chairman and President, Carla Otiniano, Program Manager and Board Members, among other guests. They are looking forward to having a great time for a great cause.
Though tickets are sold out, sponsorships are still available. For more information, visit https://www.tropicalnights.org.
BRIDGES goes to the YMCA
On April 4th, the BRIDGES Social Skills class took a field trip to the Weston YMCA. This trip was not only exciting, but very informative. The trip was an informational tour of the YMCA as well as a career exploration for the students to learn about potential future careers. This was especially notable as the Y has a good relationship with Autism Speaks as well as the Autism Community. The students had a great time engaging in the tour and learning about opportunities.
The Social Skills class arrived at the Weston YMCA prepared to learn about their opportunities and the programs offered. The students were required to participate in the tour and sessions by asking questions and engaging in conversations with the tour guides and employees speaking about their careers. The students were so interested that they went above and beyond their required participation, honing their social skills by asking many questions throughout the day. They were so invested in the conversations that they even spoke through their lunch.
Through each of the activities, the teachers spoke with the class to provide feedback as well as reflect on what they have learned. They discussed the importance of the informational trip, not only to learn about what the YMCA offers as far as programs, but about the amazing career opportunities for the students. The students were so excited to learn about career opportunities for them, especially at a place that serves the community with fun activities like the Y.
The class had an incredible time at the YMCA learning about all the programs and opportunities. Everyone had an amazing time, thank you to the YMCA for providing the BRIDGES students with such an amazing activity.
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