Meet the South Franklin Community Center Team

Meet the South Franklin Community Center team! 

Kirsten 

This time last year I was in my home state Arizona trying to figure out my next move. I was having a bit of an identity crisis. I had graduated from the University of Rhode Island the year before, and then spent nearly six months in Oaxaca Mexico studying Spanish and volunteering thanks to a scholarship. After, I was sitting at home job searching and feeling a bit hopeless.

Thankfully, I found an opportunity to apply for a position as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with United Way of Utah County in Provo. When I arrived a couple of months later, I was eager to start working at the South Franklin Community Center (SFCC) where I would be helping promote the mission of the SFCC; to provide access to educational programs that promote individual growth and encourage relationship building. We believe this participation fosters community spirit and increases the quality of life in the neighborhood as networks are built and knowledge is shared.

There are parts of my identity that will always be consistent. Now, I have a new piece to my identity. I have been working with the South Franklin Community Center since last July and a new part of me has formed. United Way of Utah County works hard everyday to enhance people’s lives by supporting education, income, and health. I know that when I go back to graduate school in the fall to study Public Policy, I will carry my experience at United Way with me. 

Jennifer

Hello! My name is Jennifer and I am the new AmeriCorps VISTA working with United Way of Utah County at the South Franklin Community Center. 

I decided to get involved in the AmeriCorps VISTA program because I want to help others succeed and give back to the community. While living abroad in Brazil, I interacted with many individuals living in circumstances much different than my own. I was aware of the international focus on poverty, but knew less about the prevalence at the local level back in the United States. After living in Brazil, I decided that I wanted to get involved and focus on helping out near my home in Provo and to bring more awareness to others.  

I am very excited about working at the South Franklin Community Center (SFCC) and getting to know everyone in the community. I have heard that the SFCC continues to improve year after year since it was started back in 2006. We have our very own center with a variety of classes being offered to the community, which demonstrates popularity and improvement of SFCC. I am looking forward to contributing to the success of the SFCC and the community.

Dania

In my last blog post on southfranklinblogspot.org I introduced myself as the new intern at United Way for the South Franklin Community Center (SFCC). I am now excited to announce that I will be a VISTA Summer Associate for the SFCC Summer Camp.

I initially got involved with United Way by being a soccer coach with the South Franklin Soccer League. I then found out about an opportunity to be more involved and began my internship with United Way in January and have enjoyed every bit of it. Working with SFCC these couple of months has been so great! I have learned many new skills, met great people, and come to love the community even more. I am so happy to be a part of the South Franklin team and be able to help the community grow and be able to see their true potential.

Now I have the privilege of seeing my kids around the community center and be remembered as their coach. Hearing, "Hey do you remember me? You were my coach! Remember we won the final it was awesome!" Comments like this just bring a big smile to my face.

As a Hispanic, I have always looked for opportunities where I can specifically serve mi gente and South Franklin was that opportunity I was looking for to make a greater impact. As a first generation Mexican American I have seen the struggles my parents have faced moving to the states. I want to help others with similar trials come out of their struggles and give them the hope and resources they need to succeed.

As I have worked with SFCC I have become aware of all the great resources United Way has for Utah County and the love they have for the community. I am excited to lead the South Franklin Summer Camp as a VISTA this summer! After that, I will continue to help lead the South Franklin Soccer League from August to October. 

Want to Know More? Check out these fun facts: 

Fun Facts About Kirsten:

1.      She is an identical twin.
2.      She loves to cook and watch Food Network.
3.      She played college tennis.
4.      Favorite book: a tie between Jane Erye and Pride & Prejudice.
5.      She has degrees in economics and political science.
6.      Her "baby" sister plays college basketball!
7.      Weight lifting is one of her favorite workouts.
8.      One of her best memories is when all of her family traveled to      
         Rhode Island to watch her and her twin graduate from college.
9.      She LOVES learning.  10.   She takes her water bottle with her EVERYWHERE. 

10 Facts about Jennifer:

1. She served an LDS mission to Londrina Brazil.
2. She has 6 nieces and 4 nephews, with 2 more on the way.
3. She is a native of Florida.
4. Her goal is to run a marathon.
5. She enjoys watching the Food Network.
6. Her favorite sport is hockey.
7. Boston is her favorite city.
8. She prefers the Winter Olympics over the Summer Olympics.
9. She is a recent college graduate from BYU with a Sociology degree.
10. She loves hoodies! She can never have too many hoodies.  

Random facts about Dania:

1.     She loves Sponge Bob because he’s so happy and giving all the time
2.     She loves Mexican candy like BomVaso, Skwinkles Salsaghetti and      
         many more
3.     She is the oldest of five kids
4.     She loves to rollerblade
5.     She has a car name Robert, which she spoils
6.     She loves Spearmint ChapStick
7.     She listens to Spanish music most of the time, like Jesse y Joy
8.     Her favorite movie Nacho Libre
9.     She loves to go dance Latin music
10.  She is currently on a Coed Soccer intramural team

Amanda, Our Fearless Zumba Leader

The South Franklin Community Center would not thrive without the initiative of our volunteers. One shining example is our volunteer certified Zumba instructor Amanda.

Amanda reached out to us, wanting to teach not just one, but two classes a week. From the first class, the ladies of Zumba have enjoyed Amanda’s upbeat classes and fun dances.

We asked Amanda to answer some questions so we can all get to know her better.

Can you share a bit about yourself?

“I am from La Grande Oregon, I am going to school at BYU I am a Humanities Major with an Emphasis in English and I am working on a Spanish Minor. My family is super supportive, growing up I was a ballerina among other things, and Mom always went to all of my recitals. Dad is very practically minded and does research and crop consulting for agriculture, both of my parents taught me how to work really hard, the most valuable thing I think that I have learned.

In my family there are 5 kids I am the second oldest… We are all great friends and really enjoy being around each other.  Other than hard work, understanding people is also something that is very important for me, being a humanities major has encouraged me to look at how others think, feel and create, and by striving to connect with something that is not maybe natural or inherent in yourself you can find so many more beautiful and positive things in the world.”  

How did you decide to become a Zumba Instructor?

“I have always loved dance and appreciated exercise, but I always found myself guilting myself into going running or something, I really did not enjoy it. In college my roommate talked me into going to a Zumba class with her on campus but I was convinced that I would never stick with a workout plan because it was just too painful to exercise!”

Amanda loved her first Zumba class, she says “I didn’t want to leave and it became one of the highlights of my day to have an hour to just dance as hard as I wanted to. It was a big class, sometimes upwards of 80 people and so the people in the back could not always see very well, so sometimes I would just make up or approximate what I thought the teacher was doing, and people would stand behind me to follow along because they could not see either, I didn’t know it was happening but when they told me that they enjoyed following me I was happy.”

Amanda’s Zumba instructor encouraged her to get certified to teach Zumba, and she did! But a few months later she “went home to prepare for a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Portugal.”  While waiting to leave to Portugal, Amanda taught in her hometown, where she learned how to adapt her classes to her audience, using the  moves she knew, what her class wanted to do, and what everyone could feel successful doing while having fun. Amanda says, “It was a lot of fun, but it was very touching to me to hear their stories that by the time I left 6 months later Zumba had helped them to reach their fitness goals and to be healthier.”

How long have you been teaching at the South Franklin Community Center and what is your favorite part about teaching there?

“When I came back to BYU my same Zumba teacher recognized me and encouraged me to get re-certified… I decided to look for a place I could teach or at least volunteer, because I knew I was just starting out again and did not feel super comfortable yet.”

“I started volunteering at the South Franklin Community Center in January and I love it! My favorite thing about teaching Zumba at the SFCC is the atmosphere of friendship, it is so easy to go and be excited to teach when everyone smiles and at least waves to me as they come in. I love that it is a place where we can have fun and feel comfortable and more confident. It has helped me immensely with my own confidence teaching as I got back into dancing after being away for a few years, and recently I was able to teach a much larger class without being nervous at all.”

What is currently your favorite song to dance to at Zumba?

“Currently my favorite song to dance to is called ‘No Wiri Wiri’ because it is so fast and fun, however my other one would have to be ‘Rosa’ or ‘the chicken one’ because this is one that the Zumba ladies seem to enjoy.  I see them singing along, they may be making fun of it, but I love it when they end up laughing. Exercise can and should be fun!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNtqWgsmTZY No wiri wiri Zumba

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmcZ7buI7DA La Rosa Carlos Vives  

Summer Day Camp

Summer Day Camp is Coming!

Everyone’s favorite time of the year is almost here. The South Franklin Summer Camp is a program designed to help students ages six to thirteen improve their reading and math scores while still having fun. When the kids go back to school in the fall, they will be ready to succeed in the classroom.

This program is available to all children from the community with a small fee of five dollars. This small charge covers crafts and field trip fees that are needed to provide them with these opportunities. This year Summer Camp will begin June 17^th. The children are divided in two groups ages six to seven and eight to thirteen. It will run Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00- 11:30 a.m.

Here is a sample schedule:

9:00-10:00: Split up into two age groups. Do reading and math learning activities.

10:00-11:00: Outdoor activity (or indoor board games etc.).

11:00-11:30: Group activity or special guest speaker.

Want to sign up? Click the link below

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fUAeCQpwjtfRLtuiBI6SAKlVWzSfGi5_7e2goZW6eio/viewform

Come and get your children involved and provide them a brighter future. 

Thank You Karen for Making us MOVE!

I don’t know about you, but I CANNOT dance. There is one place however, I feel like I could almost be Shakira. That is in Karen Gonzalez’s Zumba class at the South Franklin Community Center.

This is Karen!

Karen’s contagious smile, fun energy, and great routines make exercise fun. Fortunately for us, Karen has been teaching Zumba at the South Franklin Community Center (SFCC) for two years!

As you dance along with Karen you feel as though she has been teaching Zumba forever. But believe it or not, Karen had never stepped into a Zumba class until 2010! And we have her mom to thank for that.

Karen says, “my Zumba Journey started in January of 2010, after moving to Utah and deciding to join a gym near my house. I've never really heard much about Zumba until that day that I came across a Zumba class. I didn't want to walk in at first especially because I didn't know anything about it and didn't want to look silly attempting the moves but my mom insisted and I walked in that room with her. BEST IDEA EVER, I fell in love with Zumba at that moment.”

Can you believe it? Even Karen was afraid of looking silly. But the best thing about Zumba is you don’t have to be a great dancer to do it! Although we know of course, Karen is a great dancer.

Karen decided to dive right in to the Zumba world, she shares with us:

“I continued to go to classes around Orem, I was going to 2 classes a day sometimes and loved every minute of it. Soon after I was a Zumbaddict! But it wasn’t until my favorite instructor Allison moved to California that the idea of becoming an instructor crossed my mind. By 2011 I was officially, a licensed Zumba Fitness Instructor. It has been an amazing journey, I’ve met people from all over the world that love this format and we share the love for dance. I've been part of several fundraisers and events around and I've taught Zumba even while in vacations in other locations with Instructors who have invited me.”

In 2012, thanks to Karen’s friend Annabella, Karen started volunteering at the South Franklin Community Center in summer of 2012. Karen says, “I gave it a shot and started teaching Zumba classes for the kids that summer. Soon after I was teaching regular Zumba classes for adults and I’ve been teaching there ever since.”

Just like people come to Zumba for Karen, Karen loves teaching because she says, “I love the people from the community center, they've been super supportive since the beginning and I’ve grown as an instructor because of them.”

I asked Karen to share her favorite current song to dance to at Zumba and she replied:

“My Zumba classes are full of Latin rhythms, Reggaeton and merengue have to be my favorite, my current favorite song to dance is one by Daddy Yankee called ‘la nueva y la ex’.” Students do have a different favorite, Karen says “a class favorite is ‘show das poderosas’ by Anitta.

We are so grateful that Karen ended up in Utah because she shares, “As many of you know, I was born in Argentina, however I’ve lived in the US for more than half of my life. I've lived in Canada and several states in the US.” Karen also works full time besides teaching her Zumba classes in the afternoon and even though there are days she says she is “super tired, by the end of the day (she) couldn't have it another way and (she is) doing what makes (her) happy!”

Karen’s has a supportive family consisting of her parents, 2 sisters and her “cute little Cockapoo” (does he dance too Karen?). Karen also has “an awesome boyfriend and friends” who support her in everything she does.

Exercise is a passion of Karen’s. She says, “I've become really interested in the fitness industry in the past few years, Zumba changed my life in a positive way and I try everyday my hardest to stay healthy for my students to help them succeed in their goals. Some of my students see me as an inspiration (which is crazy!!) but it pushes me every day to be better and be an example. But seriously who ever hasn't tried Zumba yet...WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? it really doesn't feel like you're working out and that's what hooked me from the first moment I walked to a class 4 years ago!”

Yes- this is an action shot of Karen teaching.
Proof you can look great while working out.

There you have it! If Karen doesn’t motivate you to come to one of our classes, I don’t know what will!

How I Learned to be a Better Volunteer in Service to America

As a perfectionist, some of my most valuable learning experiences have been learning not to be perfect.  In my personal interactions, I had always put pressure on myself to say the “right” thing, or at the very least- not embarrass myself completely.  Ultimately, I was so worried about how I appeared to others that I paralyzed myself.  A few years ago, a friend taught me that I didn’t need to be perfect.  My friend was beloved.  I watched him interact with people of all age groups and backgrounds and it was inevitable that the person he had talked to would rave about how great he was the next time I saw them. “But you two only talked for ten minutes…” I would think to myself.  BUT I found out his secret. He…. drumroll please… asked questions.

Instead of worrying about how he looked or filling those so-called awkward pauses, he reflected and simply asked another question to whoever he was talking to.  It amazed me that such a simple concept allowed him to truly connect with people.  The art of conversation became demystified and I began to improve my relationships with old and new acquaintances.

Having a great conversation with someone leaves us feeling connected, happy, and content.  These relationships allow us to teach and learn at the same time.  I am fortunate enough to build relationships every day in my work as an AmeriCorps VISTA member for United Way of Utah County.  The AmeriCorps VISTA program has been operating for more than 20 years, and it sends volunteers like me to work for local non-profit organizations for a year.  As Volunteers in Service to America, we work to make an impact on the most critical issues facing our nation- but we do it at the local level.  More than 80,000 AmeriCorps members serve our nation every year.  VISTAs work in all areas, from education and youth, veterans affairs, disaster relief, economic opportunity, health, environment and more.  As a lead VISTA for the South Franklin Community Center, I get to connect with people every day to find out how their projects are going, to see what people like and don’t like, and to learn more about the community I am working in.  

Being a VISTA at United Way of Utah County is the perfect fit for me because we believe that change happens at the local level.  It is our neighbors, friends, and families who have the best ideas for improving our communities and our lives. The South Franklin Community Center’s mission is to promote individual growth and encourage relationship building by providing access to educational programs.  Participation in programs fosters community spirit and increases the quality of life in the neighborhood as networks are built and knowledge is shared.  Basically, we want to improve the southwest Provo community by building relationships in the community. 

As a VISTA, questions have allowed me to find opportunities for funding, meet new community partners, improve programs, and most importantly make new friends in Provo.  Go out and ask a person one question about their lives, we bet you will make a new friend by the end of the day! 

-Kirsten 

Pictured above from left to right, VISTA Josy, United Way member Rosangela, VISTA Gretchen, and VISTA Kirsten at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the South Franklin Community Center in July 2013.