Angela Acuna with hats and gloves made by Needle Crafters.
Diana Oleson
We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, the Needle Crafters started crocheting and knitting gloves and hats for Angela Acuna, the parent liaison and outreach coordinator for Eloy Elementary School. Because we were unable to meet in person in 2020, it wasn’t until October 2021 that we were able to present Angela with the 18 crocheted hats and 10 pairs of knitted and crocheted gloves handmade by the Needle Crafters and nonmembers.
I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about what Angela does as a liaison and outreach coordinator:
* Family support
* Parenting resources
* Food pantry
* Clothing and shoes
* Backpacks
* Adult ELL classes
* Free GED classes
* Paperwork assistance
* Technology assistance
* Parenting classes
* Volunteer work
Angela’s Parent Support Center strives to design and implement ongoing programs that motivate, educate, and assist families to attain goals of self-sufficiency and maximum independence while integrating community support. Her center is welcoming, nurturing, and supportive for students to engage, interact, and learn.
When Angela took this position in 2015, there was no food pantry or a clothing bank. She started her center in a classroom. Angela painted and bought items at thrift stores to make the center feel warm and welcoming. As the center began to grow, she realized that she needed more space. So she moved to the old District Office located near the new District Office.
Betty Peterson from Community Outreach of Robson Ranch has helped Angela tremendously with a shoe, sock, and book program, where students were offered free shoes and other items. Sadly however, due to COVID-19, they had to stop the program.
Parents in the community help Angela’s center by donating items they no longer need. Whether the donations are big or small, everything is appreciated. When Angela receives a donation she posts it online to a specific site, and then arrangements are made for the person requesting the items to pick them up. For example, Angela helped a parent who was in need of proper clothing for a job interview. By giving the parent an outfit for her interview, she was able to get the job. You only get one first impression, and you need it to be good.
Angela is a wonderful person with a huge heart, and she is perfect for the job she is doing. Her family and friends have been a huge help in keeping the Parent Center going. And the Needle Crafters are honored to be able to help in any way we can. Just listening to Angela talk about her Parent Center, you can see that she loves her job and helping others.
Come join the Needle Crafters and see how you can help. We meet every Thursday at the Creative Arts Center from 9 a.m. to noon. It’s free to join, with free classes, too.