HDS Companies Volunteers at the Broward Partnership for the Holidays
The Broward Partnership is an organization whose mission is to assist in reducing homelessness. They accomplish this by promoting independence and self-worth. With programs and comprehensive services focused on advocacy and housing, they have been able to assist more than 23, 400 individuals to date. On November 28, 2018, employees of HDS Companies volunteered at the Broward Partnership during their holiday event. A group from HDS met at the offices of the partnership in Fort Lauderdale and actively assisted in decorating the facility in preparation for the holidays, preparing lunch, and serving meals. Here are what some of the HDS employees had to say about this event:
Carla Otiniano, Program Manager, HDS Foundation – “We were asked to decorate the main areas for the holidays. We hung wreaths, bows, lights, and we decorated trees. While some employees were busy decorating, other employees served lunch to people currently residing at the Broward Partnership. I walked around taking pictures of the event, where I saw families with children in the line for food. Though I was sad that this is other people’s realities, I was gratified knowing that I could do something to help make them happier and help put them in the holiday spirit. This opportunity to interact with the Broward Partnership staff and to see all the wonderful things they do to help the homeless community makes me want to do more, to make sure I continue to teach my children to be grateful, and to pay it forward.”
Terri Scharnow, Program Administration Support, eHousingPlus – “Thank you for allowing me to participate in giving back to the community today. It was definitely an eye-opening experience for me, as I had never before been to a homeless shelter. I was in awe of the residents there. They were grateful, appreciative, and even our putting up decorations put a smile on their faces. My next thought was their story…how did they end up homeless? Then I realized what I have and often take for granted or worry about and this experience made me realize I shouldn’t do this. I am very appreciative for the opportunity to be involved in such a wonderful experience with such an amazing organization.”
Lorena Hernandez, Business Associate, Housing and Development Services and Shanna March, Supervisor of Program Administration, eHousingPlus – “Seeing the smiles on each person’s face when assisting serving in the kitchen was a very fulfilling experience to both of us. Everyone seemed genuinely appreciative of everything that was done to assist them. It was a bit disheartening to see so many displaced families, especially those with small children. But this experience made us feel even more thankful for what we have, and glad to have had this opportunity to give back.”
HDS is proud to have so many dedicated employees who assisted the Broward Partnership this year, and we look forward to donating more time and services in the future. If you would like to help the Broward Partnership, you can donate on their webpage at www.bphi.org or you can donate items from their wish list. These wish list items, such as unexpired canned and dry foods, personal hygiene products, and clothing, can be dropped off at 920 NW 7th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. Call the Broward Partnership at 954.779.3990 or email info@bphi.org for more information on how you can assist this wonderful group.
BRIDGES Cypress Bay High School Autumn Events
The BRIDGES HDS Foundation Program at Cypress Bay High School is more than just a class. It is an opportunity with those on the Autism spectrum to learn how to better socialize, money management, and other necessary life skills for independent functioning. Such things as these aren’t always taught in traditional classroom settings, as illustrating real-life scenarios can be difficult in the classroom. That is why the BRIDGES HDS Foundation Program at Cypress Bay program frequently takes students on field trips where they can practice socializing, managing budgets, and other such skills that can easily be taken for granted by those not affected with Autism. Some of the great field trips and activities that this BRIDGES group have taken part of this year included:
- Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza
- Bank of America
- Weston Diner
- Chick-Fil-A
- Homecoming: Spirit Week and Baychella
- Panera Bread
On each field trip, the students were able to such things manage their money, calculated tips where appropriate, and socialize with students and persons unfamiliar to them. They even were able to open personal bank accounts on their trip to Bank of America with grant money provided by the HDS Foundation.
It’s field trips and activities such as these that make BRIDGES HDS Foundation Program at Cypress Bay so successful and a benefit to those who participate in the program. If you would like to contribute to this, or other great programs sponsored in part by the HDS Foundation, you can email us at info@hdsfoundation.org or donate directly on our website: https://www.hdsfoundation.org/donate/.
ASDY-Tech & eHousingPlus went fully digital!
We are proud to announce that, due to the hard work and dedication of HDS Companies along with the assistance of ASDY-Tech, eHousingPlus went fully digital with their internal operations of eHP Digital Docs this Monday, October 15th. The ASDY-Tech employees have been assisting with this new system since June of this year, scanning and loading paper files and turning them digital.
To celebrate this momentous occasion, HDS held “Go Live” parties at both their Weston and Miami offices. Decorations adorned the walls and festive balloons swung in the air, mimicking the jubilant atmosphere of the office. In the afternoon, everyone gathered in the conference rooms to hear Cristina Gilson, Founder of HDS, speak about this momentous achievement, and to thank everyone with not only kind words, but also a few sugary sweets.
All of the ASDY-Tech employees were hired in part because they took classes at the Dan Marino Foundation, Marino Campus. This is a post-secondary educational option for those with developmental disabilities such as Autism. In addition to independent living classes offered at the Campus, students can earn industry certifications. Many students are interested in learning about technology, which led some to apply for positions with ASDY-Tech. Distinguished guests from the Dan Marino Foundation and Marino Campus, including Mary Partin, CEO at the Dan Marino Foundation, and Susan Morantes, Admissions at the Marino Campus, joined the festivities. This was a great opportunity to showcase to them what a terrific job the ASDY-Tech employees have been doing. These employees not only are extremely meticulous with their assignments, but they also help HDS and eHousingPlus to think differently about how to handle various situations. Their input is highly valuable and extremely appreciated by everyone that the ASDY-Tech team works with.
Everyone at ASDY-Tech, HDS Foundation, HDS and eHousingPlus are excited for December 10th of this year when eHP Digital Docs will go completely paperless with all of our clients.
A New BRIDGES Cohort Has Started…
On September 6, 2018 Carla Otiniano, Program Manager for the HDS Foundation, visited the BRIDGES program at Cypress Bay High School. Each school year, the BRIDGES Program goes through a renewal and new students are selected for the new school year.
Carla’s intention for the visit was to introduce herself, tell the class a little about the HDS Foundation , and also what they should expect from the program.
Each student in the class (Cypress Bay High School) introduced themselves. After the introductions were done, Carla stayed for the lesson plan and lunch. The lesson plan covered how well do you know your classmates as well as body language. At the end of the lesson, the students enjoyed their lunches.
Carla observed that many of the former students ate their lunch with a new cohort. It was very nice to witness this. In addition to the former students who stopped by, there were also other students from the school who visited as well.
Carla brought various goodies from the HDS Foundation for the students, who were very grateful. The next scheduled event will be a Bank of America visit on September 22nd.
ASDY_Tech’s Journey
ASDY-Tech has undergone some exciting changes over the past few weeks. One of our first employees, Zachary, has left us as he confronts his next exciting life opportunity of going away to college. At the HDS Foundation, we want all the best for Zachary he begins his Freshman year at UCF and we wish him much luck in this and in his future endeavors.
Mario, who attended the Marino Campus which is part of the Dan Marino Foundation, joined ASDY-Tech as an Imaging Associate. Our ASDY Tech employees – Miguel, Marco, and Gabriel– along with everyone here are HDS are excited to have Mario as part of the team and hope you will join us in welcoming him.
Even more exciting news is that eHousingPlus Digital Docs, the inaugural project of ASDY-Tech supporting the transition of workflow deliveries from paper to digital format, has gone from a testing phase into being a live project with many lenders. All of the ASDY-Tech employees are excited to be a part of this awesome project and they can’t wait until all of the lenders are able to go live and go paperless.
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