Other than the agency's founders, Mally Fontan has been employed at Hope for Miami longer than anyone else on staff (since 2007, or 17 years). She began at the afterschool program site in Hialeah, and as she gained experience, Mally was called up to open new site locations in several neighborhoods. She is the Site Supervisor at our Kidz2Success program site in Flagami at West Flagler Park Baptist Church.
Her Program Manager nominated Mally for the following reasons: “I want to nominate Mally for her unwavering dedication amidst ongoing changes, as she consistently invests effort into fulfilling essential requirements. She nurtures strong relationships with parents and students and has volunteered at numerous HFM or partner events. Mally's resilience is remarkable, as she remains a beacon of positivity even during tough times. She is undoubtedly a seasoned HFM veteran!”
When asked why she has continued with Hope for Miami for all these years, she said: “Hope for Miami took care of me, especially during the pandemic when working conditions were challenging. HFM leaders helped me improve in my job by recommending classes to improve my skills and management of the site. What I have found is that Hope for Miami is not just another afterschool program. I have learned some much from the other community events and I enjoy participating in them.”
Mally is a people person and connects well with both the parents and their children. Almost all of the children in her site are recent immigrants who came with minimal English language skills. The parents appreciate her help so much that they keep referring their friends and neighbors to the program site at West Flagler—so much so that this site location remains fully enrolled.
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