Employee Spotlight Anilda

Describe a day in the life of your role at Horizons.
A typical day for me is arriving to the early education center in the morning and getting the children settled. We start our day free play as everyone arrives and then we prepare and feed the babies breakfast. Next we have outside time with some type of activity. After getting some fresh air, we come back for lunch, diaper changes, and settle down for a nap. Once the babies wake up, we feed them a snack and allow them to have free play. Infants have their schedules everyday and it’s important we stick to them.

What do you like the most about working at Horizons?
I love seeing the children grow and watching them reach their milestones. I spent 15 years at Horizons’ Dorchester center with the infant class, then in Roxbury with the infant toddlers for 2 years, and then moved to the toddler class for 6 months. Then there was an opening in the infant classroom and that’s when I realized that is what I wanted to go back to. I’ve been in the infant classroom in the Jamaica Plain center ever since.

What’s a goal you hope to accomplish while at Horizons?
Five years after I started, I decided I wanted to become a lead teacher. I then became a supervisor at the Dorchester center. It was during this experience that I realized my place was to be with the babies. I was proud that I accomplished my goal, but I learned that I was happiest when I was in the classroom with the infants.

What’s something you’ve learned at Horizons that has affected you the most?
When I first came to work with this population, I felt badly for what the families were going through. This quickly changed after working with the kids. I didn’t see them any different from any other children. I know what they are capable of. I treat and expect the same with them as any other child. There’s no reason to coddle them. All of our children are just as strong and capable as any other child.

Favorite/most powerful moment at Horizons?
I was very surprised when I won two awards. The first one was the the Sue Heilman Award for Excellence and then the Horizons “Inclusive” core value award. It was really nice to be recognized and appreciated for my work. These awards have meant a lot to me.

Why do you think people should support Horizons?
The mission of Horizons is about helping  families to become self-sufficient, which is extremely important. Without support, we couldn’t help homeless and vulnerable families move on to a better future.

What’s your favorite childhood memory?
Playing hide and seek with all my neighborhood friends. It was the simple things for me. I loved climbing trees, adventures, and being outside in nature.

Horizons for Homeless Children’s passionate employees embody the Horizons’ mission every day in a vast array of ways. The Horizons’ staff is uniquely specialized in several areas to serve to the needs of young homeless children and their families. To join our team, check out our career opportunities!

by Molly Murphy
Published on May 8, 2018