FirstFruitsCommunity Newsletter · Contactos del programa comunitario Community Program Contacts Eric Sobotta Community Director/Director de comunidad Office/Oficina: 509-749-7936

Contactos del programa comunitarioCommunity Program Contacts

Eric Sobotta Community Director/Director de comunidad

Office/Oficina: 509-749-7936 Cell/Celular: 509-440-3254

Melissa WisnerCommunity Programs Coordinator Office/Oficina: 509-749-8245

Cell/Celular: 509-629-1341

Thanya ValdovinosYouth Coordinator

Office/Oficina: 509-749-8248Cell/Celular: 509-366-9188

Socorro Garcia Health Promotora/Promotora de salud


Contactos Comunitarios de ViviendaHousing Community Contacts

Eva MadrigalDirector of Snake River Housing/Director de Snake River Housing


Teresa HernandezSnake River Housing Office Administrator

Office/Oficina: 509-749-8183Cell/Celular: 509-629-2790

Carmen BernalSnake River Housing Season Housing Manager

Office/Oficina509-749-8184 Cell/Celular: 509-629-1770

Other Important NumbersNELA: 509-749-2138New Horizon ECEC: 509-749-2325Broetje Orchard: 509-749-2217Orchard View Market: 509-749-2008Prescott School: 509-849-2217

Contact Us/Contactenos

“I lived for 25 years in Caracas the capital of Venezuela, with my family, husband, and son in a residence called Coche. I felt good--it was my home, my neighbors, my family. What worried us was our health issues. I needed a specific type of medicine to treat the liver, and in Venezuela, it was not possible to get it. I worked as a supervisor in a telephone company called CANTV. Day-to-day stress triggered my illness, which only worsened when I could not get the medical attention necessary to treat me. The instability of Venezuela also made us feel worried and on alert every second. Your life could be at risk if someone even wanted your cell phone. This affected me not only physically, but also psychologically, because it made me feel and think that no matter how hard I tried I did not have the necessary resources to be well. Because of these problems I was experiencing, we decided to move to the United States. Once in the US, the medicine I needed was found quite easily. The whole process of coming here was not so stressful for me since I trusted God a lot and asked him to protect me, which was the best decision for my family and me. I came with my husband and my son. My sisters had already been here for months. When they told me about the Vista Hermosa community, it was hard to believe that a community with so many good opportunities was real. Coming from a totally different environment full of hostilities and difficulties—having to sell our house, our things—it was hard to believe and have faith that this was possible. But we accept it with great strength, trusting in God. Without a doubt, it was the best decision we made. My son is happy. He is learning a new language and has adapted quite well. We have met, in this community, very supportive people who care about us. Without being family or even being from the same country, making us feel a love that even in our country we had not felt. I think the biggest challenge was all the changes, starting from scratch here, and the need to learn a new language. I would like people to knowthat dreaming is free and everything isPossible. It’s a matter of having faith, conviction, and a lot of strength.”

FirstFruits Community NewsletterA journey from Venezuela: Eddy Negron

Daniel Perez

Kenia Alvarado

Andrew Mendoza

Amy Mendoza

Francisco Plaza

Daniel Vazquez

Paola Dominguez

Cristobal Estrella

Julio Gutierrez

Oscar Ibarra

Humberto de la

Mora

Gilberto Andrade

Adan Martinez

Maria A Vela

Raul Gonzalez

Javier Sandoval

Jesus Chavez

Pedro Cervantes

Saira Cervantes

Ahine Cedillo

Steven Rodriguez

Mariah Saldana

Faustino Quiroz

Zenaida Rebolledo

Jahzell Navarro

Adriana Benito

Virginia De Dios

Francisco Gonzalez

Eleazar Valdovinos

Jose Paniagua

Damian Caro

Rosa Espinoza

Kimberly Martinez

Monserrath

Hernandez

Pedro Arellano

Maricela Mejia

Enrique Rivera

Raul Hernandez

Juan Perez

Leonardo Sanchez

Carlos Perez

Leobardo Garcia

Maria Iglesias

Yaretzi Valdovinos

Mariano Balbuena

Omar Velasco

Julian Mendez

Fatima Becerra

Luis Ortega

Sabina Gonzalez

Valeria Osorio

Veronica Garcia

George has been a long-time familiar face around the

Vista Hermosa Community—arriving in 1996, just a couple

years after the community was founded. He served the

community, overseeing programming, for nine years before

returning to Texas where he cared for his parents and started

his family-run pizza business. It was a success then and is still a

thriving business today, run by his son Adrian Garcia!

George returned to Vista in 2013, because he always

had a call from the Lord to do community work. “Community

has been my life and it’s an extension of my beliefs. I grew up

learning about how God desired us to love people, making a

priority of relationships, and creating a better world for us to

live in. When Christ commissioned the apostles, he meant us

too! God talks to us and sends us out to carry the torch. And

He sends others to carry the torch after us. I think we need to

build relationships with people, and that is the key to living life.

That is why I have done community work,” George said.

As George transitions to taking over the restaurant at

the store, he plans to intertwine his business and community

experiences. He wants to build deeper community and

connections while serving delicious, high-quality food in Vista

Hermosa.

“Transitions are full of mixed emotions and feelings, but

God-willing you trust that things will go well and look positively

to the future!” George will serve breakfast and lunch out of the

newly remodeled Orchard View Market!

Geo’s Pizza and Grill: where food and community connect

We hope you have an AMAZING

Birthday!

Fighting for the rights of all people

Resident Jocelyn Granados was selected as a representative to attend the Active Advocacy Coalition, taking place this January in St. Louis, MO. The attendees at the conference spent time advocating for rights for undocumented students in the United States—including visiting 24 legislative offices and speaking with politicians. Even though Washington state is friendlier to undocumented students, many young people are still given the message that theyaren’t allowed to apply for college or scholarships because of their status. “When I went to WSU Pullman, I realized how many undocumented students grew up believing that college wasn’t an option for them. Growing up in Vista, I never believed that. I was always told I could do it and I could accomplish my dreams,” Jocelyn said.

“This opportunity to attend the conference advocating for undocumented students is a reminder for me to keep pushing myself to follow my dream of going to law school. It is important to keep representing minorities, because we have been fighting for a long time, and it’s time this country realizes the worth of all their people,” Jocelyn said.

Feb 12

Prescott MS

Girls

Basketball

Game @ Vista

Hermosa,

4 pm

MON TUE WED THU FRI

After School Program/Programadespués de la escuela4p-5p





Open Gym/Gimnasioabierto5p-6p

Open Gym/Gimnasioabierto 5p-6p




Volleyball/Voleibol7p-9p

Soccer Practice/Práctica de fútbol6p-7p

Youth Group7p-9p

Soccer Practice/Práctica de fútbol6p-7p


Indoor Soccer/Fútbol de salón7p-9p

Basketball/Baloncesto7p-9p

Various Activities/Diversasactividades

Activities6th – 12th Grade

Date Grades 6-12 Weekly Activity Details

2/1/19 7pm-9pm

Movie Night

2/8/19 7pm-9pm

Event hosted by Prescott High School Junior Class

2/15/196pm-10pm

Valentine’s Dinner and Dance

2/22/197pm-9pm

Sport’s tournament in gym

3/1/197pm-9pm

Paint Night

Community Council is a group of volunteers set up and run by local group community members to act on behalf of the Vista Hermosa Community. These members meet and cover a variety of topics, that include making decisions that ensure we live out the Vista

Hermosa Community mission statement. Mission: Providing a safe community where all are welcomed, empowered, and connected.

The Vista Hermosa Community Council met in December and January to discuss several topics to help us live out our community mission of being a SAFE community where people are WELCOMED, EMPOWERED, and CONNECTED.

Meeting highlights include: • Driving safety: we will be putting up additional speed limit signs,

adding a trial speed bump, working with Prescott on the locations of the bus stops, and educating the community on bus safety

• Trash: during the winter months the landscaping crew is unable to collect the amount of trash that it does in the other seasons, therefore we as a community need to help fill the gap! Please pick up trash around your homes to keep the place beautiful. The youth will also support the trash cleaning of the community

• Rent: the counsel expressed the importance and value of keeping rent as low as possible, therefore we will be working hard toward a sustainable budget model through this calendar

• Pet policy: the counsel is proposing a stricter enforcement of the pet registration policy as a way to protect the pets who are in the community and protect residents from stray animals

Mon.-Wed., Feb 4-6 – gym closedFeb 7 – Immigration Conversation in chapel, 6 pm

Vista Community Learns and Grows in Chicago A Commitment to Continuing Education. This past December 2018, over 20 employees, interns and volunteers from the various departments in the Vista Hermosa community completed education to help understand how best to work with people in the community. These courses helped the participants understand people’s behavior, how to respond in the event of a crisis, and signs of what to look for in a person that may need extra support.

The attendance in thesecourses goes to show the on-going commitment that the participants have to supporting people.

When asked why they signed up for these courses,one participant said, “I do this work because it is the right thing to do. I do not claim to know everything or to have all of the correct answers, but my heart is always in the right place. I just want to help.”

Christmas lights competition 2018! It was decided on a 3-way tie!!

Salomon Martinez and Ahine Cedillo

Hermilo Martínezand Teresa Daniz

Pedro and BereniceMendoza

Fiesta deSan Valentine

Febrero 15, 2019

boletos disponibles en la oficina de la escuela

Grand Re-Opening of Orchard View Market

Stop by and see the new look at Orchard View Market.

It was our desire to keep the integrity of the original design in the store but simply update the look. The hope is that the store, under the new management of Maria Flores, the store will feel like a safe place where people can feel connected to our community. This hospitality center will welcome all people whether they are just visiting or are residents of the FirstFruitsCommunity.

Not only did Maria help with the new design of the store, she also played a major role in getting new coffee vendors in place that features a fresh brewed cinnamon flavored coffee.

Maria has lived in the community for the past 5 years. She gained much of her hospitality experience while managing the kitchen at Jubilee Leadership Academy for the past 5 years.

Pictured above: New Manager at Orchard View Market – Maria Flores.

Each month, we have been including a piece of information that helps to educate our community about the potentially harmful effects of trauma in the lives of those that have experienced it and their loved ones. This month will be no different. Since we have learned about the brain states in our last newsletter, this month we will talk a little about what we can do to help identify some of the things that could cause a person to enter into the “yellow” or “red” brain state.

Triggers can be anything: sights, sounds, smells, places, events —and if you aren't adequately warned or if they're unexpected, you become triggered. And what happens next is not fun, both for the person experiencing it and for anybody who loves and cares for them.

There are things that you can do to help a person recover and begin to feel love, trust and safety again.

The first thing to do istry help that person.

see Let them know that you support them tothe best of your ability.

best of your ability. thereThere are no strategiesthat work with every person.

But, being present and understanding can make a big difference in the moment and in t the future.

long

Trauma Education Corner

Documents

FirstFruitsCommunity Newsletter · Contactos del programa comunitario Community Program Contacts Eric Sobotta Community Director/Director de comunidad Office/Oficina: 509-749-7936