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Natalia Tapia has been volunteering at the Pride Center for a few months and has made an impact through her enthusiasm and willingness to help others. She values that the Pride Center provides a safe space for the entire community, not just the LGBT community, and that it has collaborations to help all guests with whatever needs they have. Natalia feels she has found her fit by volunteering at the Pride Center, as she is passionate about advancing the LGBT community and supporting causes like breast cancer awareness. She was determined to become a volunteer at the Pride Center.
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- 1. 11 www.PrideCenterFlorida.orgVOICESpring2013 954.463.9005 www.PrideCenterFlorida.org Seniors@PrideCenterFlorida.org 2040 North Dixie Highway Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Celebrate Life at the Liveliest Spot in Town! SENIORS •Coffee & Conversation Tuesdays @ 10 am •Daily Enhance Fitness senior exercise classes •Pot lucks, fun shows, movies and Bingo •Games Days every other Tuesday afternoon •Issues, Art, History...Speaker Series on alternate Tuesdays •Healthy Aging seminars •Weekly Bridge, Hearts, Pinochle and more •AARP Driver Safety courses, CarFit and Safe Homes programs ...and a faaabulous annual Senior Health Expo! “ I am still working on trying to figure out the vending machine,” says Natalia Tapia with a laugh. “However, I can say that I love coming here every Monday. I can only hope that others can sense my enthusiasm.” Those that meet Natalia surely can sense her enthusiasm. Though she only has volunteered with The Pride Center for a few months, she’s already made an impact on the community members, staff members and other volunteers with whom she’s worked. “I provide many smiles and strive to provide everyone who walks through the door or calls on the phone whatever they need during their visit with us,” she says. Natalia says she reads The Voice “religiously” and is “taken aback” by the growth and development at The Pride Center since she moved to Oakland Park in 2006. “The grants received, the hands-on work in the community as a whole, the efforts from the volunteers, the consistent appreciation that the entire center shows for each other, the guests that come and know that they have a comfortable place to be who they are. It’s a home environment and it makes me happy to be a contributing part of that dynamic,” she says. Natalia is quick to point out what she values most about The Pride Center. “It provides a safe place for the entire community,” she says. “You don’t have to be gay to be welcomed and embraced. I love that we have relationships with collaborating organizations that are ready and able to help all our guests with whatever they need. Many of our guests have nowhere to turn. But they can turn to The Pride Center where many helping hands are available to them when they may need it the most. Without questions, prejudice or judgment. Everyone has a story. Whether their story is one of triumph or one of need- The Pride Center is there.” She also values the relationships she has formed with other volunteers and staff. “I value working with my front desk team (Gil and Joe),” she says. “Mr. Clarence (Facilities Assistant) not only assures that there are no animals in the back woods so guests are safe, but walks around all night with the security guard Ms. Lisa, assuring our guests and staff are safe under their watch.” Natalia admits this is the first time that she has volunteered regularly on a weekly basis. “I have two jobs Monday-Friday, but I felt a void missing that needed to be filled,” she says. “I am heavily involved in my Sorority, Omega Phi Chi, as an Alumni Member. One of our organization’s core values is involvement in community affairs. It is easier to find ways to contribute to local communities on an undergraduate level, but as an adult I found it difficult to find consistent opportunities that would enable me to connect with organizations that support causes I believe in. “I am passionate about the advancement and fostering of the LGBT community and Breast Cancer Awareness,” she shares. “I still volunteer and raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation as well as the American Cancer Society on a yearly basis. Once I found out that The Pride Center welcomed volunteers I knew I found my fit.” She was determined to become a volunteer. “Mr. Robert Boo (CEO) and Ms. Samantha McCoy (Customer Service Coordinator) can attest to my insistence regarding the processing of my application,” she laughs. Volunteer SpotlightNatalia Tapia smiles her way into Pride Center family
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