On Wednesday, January 16, 2019, the BRIDGES class from Cypress Bay High School visited Lucille’s American Café in Weston, Florida for lunch. The students all ordered their lunch and received individual bills so that they could practice every day skills of budgeting, calculating gratuities, and money management. At this outing, some students found that they didn’t have enough funds in their accounts to cover what they ordered. This was a great experience as it gave the students a true view of what it can be like when dining out independently. Having to troubleshoot and find alternative payment methods, such as paying for their meal with both their ATM card and some cash, is something that they learned can be one way that they can handle a similar situation. It’s learning experiences and life skills, such as this, that will help these students live independently in the future. 

The HDS Foundation is proud to sponsor such programs as BRIDGES at Cypress Bay High School. If you would like more information on the HDS Foundation and how this organization partners with community resources to leverage available federal, state, and local programs, contact Program Manager, Carla Otiniano, by emailing Carla.Otiniano@hdsfoundation.org or calling 954-217-9597 ext. 259. 

ASDY-TECH is a NEW (Jobs-related) Program initiated by The HDS Foundation, Inc.  This program focuses on providing training and potential employment to young adults who are on the Autism Spectrum.  ASDY-TECH (coined after the Autism Spectrum Disorder Young adults), has been designed as a micro-enterprise entity of The HDS Foundation, Inc, and focuses on small technical projects that can be scaled to address the employment needs of this population, while meeting the requirements of different businesses and persons. 

Every Thursday, for the remainder of January, the HDS Foundation would like to introduce you to our great team members and what they do at ASDY Tech. 

Marco told us, “My experience at HDS is with scanning. I scan the files, some are too big or too small, so depending on the size of the file, the scanner can be fast or slow. Sometimes the scanner gets jammed. I have to fix the scanner to make the files fit perfectly and neatly. It takes time when the file papers go one by one. Once scanning is done, the file goes digital and the PDF file appears in the folder. I rename the file with the loan number and person’s last name. Then I drag and drop the complete file to the upload station. The scanning station is fun, relaxing, and I like that it can go on its own. I can master it little by little.”

ASDY-TECH is a NEW (Jobs-related) Program initiated by The HDS Foundation, Inc.  This program focuses on providing training and potential employment to young adults who are on the Autism Spectrum.  ASDY-TECH (coined after the Autism Spectrum Disorder Young adults), has been designed as a micro-enterprise entity of The HDS Foundation, Inc, and focuses on small technical projects that can be scaled to address the employment needs of this population, while meeting the requirements of different businesses and persons. 

Every Thursday, for the remainder of January, the HDS Foundation would like to introduce you to our great team members and what they do at ASDY Tech. 

Gabriel told us, “What I do at HDS is a variety of jobs. Sometimes, I upload the information I was given into the database. Other times, I’m given a file to put in the scanner to make it digital. I can prepare the file to be scanned by putting the info where it is supposed to be.”

Carla Otiniano, Program Manager of the HDS Foundation, visited with the FBI Miami Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBI Miami CAAA) on Monday, December 17, 2018, to contribute to underserved children in the community. HDS  provided a donation of $1000 to the FBI Miami CAAA. With this donation the organization was able to purchase lots toys for children from newborn to 17, donated by HDS Companies. 

The mission of the FBI Miami CAAA is to provide students, parents, business leaders, and the community at large with information programs and services through community-based projects, with particular emphasis on youth development and academic excellence. 

If you would like more information on FBI Miami CAAA and how you can contribute to this great organization, visit https://www.fbicaaamiami.org/. 

The HDS Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 Non-Profit organization founded to provide mentoring services and opportunities to Teens and Young Adults who have Autism-related disabilities. To donate, please visit https://www.hdsfoundation.org/donate/ or email Carla.Otiniano@hdsfoundation.org.

Every year during the holidays, HDS Companies donates toys to those who are less fortunate. This year HDS donated to Pantry of Broward, an organization who serves not only seniors in need who are on low, fixed incomes, but also grandparents raising their grandchildren. Each month, the Pantry of Broward provides over 400 clients each with a 55-pound box of nutritional food, including fruits, vegetables, and bread.   

The HDS donation consisted of $500 worth of toys, for children ranging in age from new born to 17 years old. Duilio M. Roldan, Warehouse Manager of the Pantry of Broward, facilitated the pick-up of toys from HDS with Carla Otiniano, Program Manager of the HDS Foundation.   

If you would like more information on Pantry of Broward and how you can donate to this worthy cause, visit https://www.foodpantries.org/li/fl-food-pantry-of-broward.    

The HDS Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 Non-Profit organization founded to provide mentoring services and opportunities to Teens and Young Adults who have Autism-related disabilities. To donate, please visit https://www.hdsfoundation.org/donate/ or email Carla.Otiniano@hdsfoundation.org.