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Community Life Program

Community Life encompasses a number of programs from English classes to a Garden group and a Thrift Store, whose aims are to build a supportive community for the residents of East Harlem.

Program Name: The Community Life Program
Contacts: Flor Eilets
Phone: (212) 987-4422
Location: 333 East 115th St. (Between 1st | 2nd) - Map
Admission Process:

Story: A Volunteer Helps us Grow - Sr. Reyna Gonzalez

by Trish Gough

“I tried to help the women understand that they belong,” said Sr. Reyna, “Everyone needs to feel that they belong.” Such is the philosophy of the service of Sr. Reyna Gonzalez, who is a Sister of the Sacred Heart. We had the very good fortune of having Sr. Reyna volunteer with us, working mainly with two women’s groups – the Gardening Group and the Spanish Literacy Group. Approximately 30 women from the community, mostly from Mexico, participate in these two Family Life groups.

The Garden Group is a group of women who plant and harvest fruits and vegetables from the Pleasant Avenue Community Garden on 115th Street. The gardening experience creates a sense of accomplishment and community for the women, as well as offering fresh produce for their families. Sr. Reyna, who arrived in September, began working with the garden group as summer’s end neared.

“Sr. Reyna helped the women understand the importance of each one’s role in the group,” explained Hannah Reisley-White, the Garden Group coordinator. She explained that Sr. Reyna was able to help the participants learn that each has an important role in shaping the direction of the group, which helped them to feel more connected to the group and to the community at large.

Sr. Reyna also helped to facilitate the Spanish Literacy group, which meets twice a week. This class helps native Spanish speakers to learn to read and write Spanish, so that they may then be able to learn English. Helping the women to feel more confident in themselves was a big part of her work, she said, as well as helping them to recognize their own personal responsibility in how they achieve their goals.

Another service Sr. Reyna provided was facilitating several Sharing Place staff reflection sessions, which helped the staff reflect on how they work together as a team. They also discussed their ideas of how the mission of the store fits into the mission of the agency (“it’s not just a business”), and spoke about the importance of effective communication. One former volunteer and now part-time employee mentioned that she was able to use the interpersonal skills she learned in the store at home with her children.

Sr. Reyna, who is returning to Mexico in February to resume her work in popular education, greatly valued the time she spent at the LSAFHS. “Helping the women to see themselves as an important part of the LSAFHS, and to understand that they are part of our mission, was a goal,” she said. “It was wonderful to see them grow.”

If you are interested in volunteering with LSAFHS, please visit our Volunteer page or contact Trish Gough at (646) 672-0434.