DETROIT HISPANIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Nurturing hope

Angie started agency in her home

January 20, 2008

BY LORI S. ROBINSON

>>Obstacles bow before Angie Reyes. When she divorced with four children younger than 6, Angie returned to Wayne State University to complete her undergraduate degree. While serving as the full-time youth director at Latino Family Services in Detroit, she earned a master's degree in public health from the University of Michigan. In 1997, when too many young people in her community were loosing their lives to gang violence, she founded the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC) in her living room. Angie's passion for supporting youth has blossomed into a bedrock institution of southwest Detroit. The agency provides bilingual services as well as programs for youths and adults. As DHDC's executive director, this 53-year-old grandmother has no intentions of slowing.

What led you to the work you do? Certainly being the second of 10 kids, I had a lot of training working with kids. And part of our family values, our Latino culture is giving back to your community.

How did DHDC come to be? I got tired of burying kids. The first program that we had was actually addressing the issue of gang violence. All of our programs have grown out of addressing the needs of the young people in this community.

You used to take kids into your home to help keep them safe? There have been a lot of kids who have grown up in my home over the years. There are not a lot of safe places for kids to go.

How did your kids deal with that? It was difficult for them to share me with so many other kids. Not only sharing my time, but also our resources. So we had to stretch things. But they all are very generous and compassionate adults now.

What are your goals for this organization? The end goal is for us not to need it anymore. The primary goal is to be a safe place for young people, to be another family for them where they can grow and mature and realize their full potential.

DHDC recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. What did it mean to you to reach that milestone? It was a realization that we're moving to the next level as an organization, that we're no longer the little grassroots organization in my living room. That we still have that same level of compassion and connection with the community, but we're trying to constantly improve the way we do things. So I'm looking forward to the next decade.

Lori is a Detroit-based writer. Reach her at SurviveThrive@aol.com

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Home •Agency •Services •Events •News Letter •News/Media Releases •Testimonies •How to Help •Annual Report •New Developments •Partners/Collaborations MAKE A DIFFERENCE YOUR DONATION COUNTS D.H.D.C -------address------- 1211 Trumbull Detroit, MI 48216 ----------contact---------- Phone: (313) 967-4880 Fax: (313) 967-4884 TDD: 1-800-649-3777 Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Funded in part by the MI Department of Labor & Economic Growth Career Development; Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion; and the City of Detroit's Workforce Development Department. *DHDC is Accredited By* ª CARF (Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) DHDC is an affiliate of DHDC is an Affiliate Of ª National Council of La Raza DHDC is a Member Of ª Hispanic Business Alliance ª Detroit Regional Chamber ª Community Development Advocates of Detroit	*News / Media Releases*

		Nurturing hope Angie started agency in her home January 20, 2008 BY LORI S. ROBINSON >>Obstacles bow before Angie Reyes. When she divorced with four children younger than 6, Angie returned to Wayne State University to complete her undergraduate degree. While serving as the full-time youth director at Latino Family Services in Detroit, she earned a master's degree in public health from the University of Michigan. In 1997, when too many young people in her community were loosing their lives to gang violence, she founded the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC) in her living room. Angie's passion for supporting youth has blossomed into a bedrock institution of southwest Detroit. The agency provides bilingual services as well as programs for youths and adults. As DHDC's executive director, this 53-year-old grandmother has no intentions of slowing. What led you to the work you do? Certainly being the second of 10 kids, I had a lot of training working with kids. And part of our family values, our Latino culture is giving back to your community. How did DHDC come to be? I got tired of burying kids. The first program that we had was actually addressing the issue of gang violence. All of our programs have grown out of addressing the needs of the young people in this community. You used to take kids into your home to help keep them safe? There have been a lot of kids who have grown up in my home over the years. There are not a lot of safe places for kids to go. How did your kids deal with that? It was difficult for them to share me with so many other kids. Not only sharing my time, but also our resources. So we had to stretch things. But they all are very generous and compassionate adults now. What are your goals for this organization? The end goal is for us not to need it anymore. The primary goal is to be a safe place for young people, to be another family for them where they can grow and mature and realize their full potential. DHDC recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. What did it mean to you to reach that milestone? It was a realization that we're moving to the next level as an organization, that we're no longer the little grassroots organization in my living room. That we still have that same level of compassion and connection with the community, but we're trying to constantly improve the way we do things. So I'm looking forward to the next decade. Lori is a Detroit-based writer. Reach her at SurviveThrive@aol.com Click here to view article in its original form _