It is 9:45 in the morning, and Ángela Campbell is scrambling to get everything ready. In just 15 minutes, children will start arriving, and everything needs to be clean and orderly. From the tiny chairs where they will sit, to the cookies that will be served as snacks.
It is not easy, but by 10 a.m. all will be ready. The children will arrive, and they will feel at home. Ready to learn and share.
This has been Campbell’s priority for the last 15 years: caring for the community’s youth. Opening the door to learning, reinforcing their knowledge base, instilling in them a love of reading and teaching them how to care for their fellow man, among other skills.
Campbell is the director of Hope Community Center, located within Huntington Apartments on Buford Highway. There, together with Cross Cultural Ministries, Campbell offers help to children and families in that area.
“We help children with homework, we strengthen their reading skills, we have a kindergarten transition program, support groups for mothers, and clubs for children every week,” explained Campbell.
In addition, the center has a food bank to help families experiencing financial difficulties.
According to Campbell, she receives help from several volunteers and organizations who support her cause.
“Some of the programs that we offer are associated with other organizations, such as the Salvation Army,” said Campbell.
Perhaps the most telling characteristic of the organization is the fact that it is located in the heart of the community — not in a church nor a school, but inside an apartment complex close to neighbors. There is the possibility of immediate help for those who live in the area.
According to Campbell, who came to the United States from Mexico in 1996, the owners of the apartment complex allow the organization to utilize two apartment units to run the center. This space allows the organization to assist the community faster.
At the entrance to the center, a large wooden table welcomes visitors. On top, an array of bread and other food is available for anyone who needs it. The door is always open.
Team work is also key to the center’s success. In addition to Campbell and the partner organizations, a group of teachers, neighbors and volunteers also lend a hand to care for and protect the children.
María Guadalupe Martínez, a resident of the building who came to the U.S. from Mexico 12 years ago, is one of these volunteers. In exchange for child care assistance from the center, Martínez offers her time to help the organization.
“I enjoy spending time with the children, and I like for my children to spend time with them. You get connected to the community, with the parents, and it’s very satisfactory,” assured Martínez.
Martínez’s children are among the thousands of youth who have benefited from the Hope Community Center throughout the organization’s 15-year existence.
In the end, it is about working together as a community.
“The best part about working here is seeing people’s lives changed. That doesn’t have a price,” explained Campbell.
Huntington Apartments are located at 2550 Pilgrim Way NE, Atlanta.
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