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Teens spruce up Hispanic Learning Center

By Jessica Groover | Independent Tribune

Published: October 11, 2009

CONCORD — About 20 local teenagers and other volunteers spent Saturday painting, cleaning and planting flowers so local children could have a better place to learn.

Members of Adolescent Latinos Motivating Action and the Taking Responsible Actions In Life program spruced up the Hispanic Learning Center as a community service project.

The Hispanic Learning Center has an after-school program, where elementary and middle school children do their homework, learn English and play games. While the center has other programs, the children were the ones ALMA was thinking of as they were cleaning on Saturday.

"I've been here before and helped tutor the kids, and we came to a decision that this place needed a lot of help," said Marie Caceres, 17, a member of ALMA. "We adore this place, and the kids in it. They needed a lot of new material that they couldn't have (before)."

ALMA is a Latino teen task force funded by TRAIL at the Cabarrus Health Alliance. Members are recommended by local teachers and administrators and are carefully selected, said Gina Gonzalez Hofert, priority populations program coordinator for Cabarrus Health Alliance.

Because TRAIL focuses on making responsible decisions, the teenagers visited the Hispanic Learning Center this summer to tutor the young students and teach them programs about topics like hygiene, tobacco prevention and being a role model.

"The primary role was for them to see successful Latino teens," Hofert said. "(The learning center) is located in one of the most underprivileged neighborhoods. For them, being successful may not seem attainable."

While they were teaching the children, the ALMA teenagers decided to fix up the center, Hofert said.

"They deserve a clean place to come and learn," said Jessica Pacheco, 16, a member of ALMA. "Bringing more color in might motivate them more."

Volunteers associated with TRAIL and the Cabarrus Health Alliance replaced some of the older furniture at the center, improved the landscaping and cleaned the walls, among other things.

Henry Lopez, 16, an ALMA member, said he enjoyed just helping out, especially for children he felt connected to.

"This makes me happy, being able to help people," Lopez said. "It's a nice pleasure."

The Hispanic Learning Center was grateful for the assistance.

"(As a) nonprofit, we don't have extra money," said Doris

Goedeke, founder and executive director for the center. "We have to maintain the buildings, so this is a huge help."

She said that, not only had the Latino teenagers already inspired the children by being role models to them, but that even the slightest changes in the center's appearance would excite the youth.

"The first thing they say when they see something has changed is, 'look, Ms. Doris,'" Goedeke said. "I'm going to see little happy faces (next week)."