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La Mesa del PODER:
Nourishing Community, Building Belonging
This quarter, PODER came together to meet a critical need, ensuring our community has access to fresh, healthy food during a time of growing uncertainty.
With the support of a generous donor, and in collaboration with New Life who contributed 50 additional boxes, our team assembled and distributed 170 food boxes filled with essential items like fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, rice, beans, bread, and pasta. We are deeply grateful for this generosity, which made immediate relief possible for families across our community.
Inside PODER HQ, one of our training rooms transformed into La Mesa del PODER, a space rooted in care, dignity, and community. Staff came together during lunch breaks and after work hours to sort, pack, and distribute each box with intention. Every box represented more than nourishment; it represented solidarity, belonging, and a reminder that no one stands alone.
The need is real and urgent.
Among 172 community respondents, 82% worry about food running out, and nearly 1 in 3 households are in crisis or near crisis. Many are navigating job loss, reduced work hours, and limited access to public benefits due to immigration-related barriers. In fact, 83% are not currently receiving any form of food assistance, despite widespread need.
Through La Mesa del PODER, we supported families facing immediate and high-risk food insecurity, many of whom are already connected to our programs, including English classes and case management services.
But beyond the data are the voices of our community:
“I am very grateful for your help to me and my family… may God bless all the people who support PODER.” — Ortencia
“Thank you for demonstrating that when we come together to help others, we can make a big difference.”
“I’ve been out of work since December… this food box will help me get by for a few days. Thank you to PODER for their help and the English classes.” — Tania
These stories remind us that food access is not just about meeting a basic need, it’s about creating stability, restoring hope, and opening the door to what’s next.
At PODER, we see this work as an entry point. Many families receiving support also expressed strong interest in job training, employment support, and economic opportunities; clear signals that when immediate needs are met, pathways to becoming can begin.
Because when care is shared, belonging grows.
And when belonging grows, futures change.
Teaching Beyond the Classroom: Frank’s Journey of Belonging and Purpose
Frank’s path to PODER started with a job posting, but it quickly became something much more meaningful. With over 15 years of experience teaching ESL to students from around the world, Frank found his way back to the South Side community that shaped him, stepping into a role that feels both personal and purposeful.
Having previously worked alongside PODER team members earlier in his career, the connection felt natural. But what truly drew him in was the opportunity to teach where he grew up, at a place he remembers passing as a child, long before it became PODER HQ.
Today, Frank brings not only his experience, but a deep respect for the learners he serves. “Our students and members are some of the finest people I’ve met in my life,” he shares. He speaks with admiration about their dedication, students arriving to class after overnight shifts, supporting one another through language barriers, and showing up every day with determination and care.
In Frank’s classroom, belonging starts on day one. His approach is simple but powerful: show up, embrace mistakes, listen to one another, and lead with respect. From there, something transformative happens. Students gain confidence, support one another, and create a learning environment rooted in trust and shared growth.
He has also witnessed the deeper “why” behind his students’ commitment. This trimester, several learners brought their children to class, a reminder that their pursuit of education is not just for themselves, but for their families. For many, it’s about modeling perseverance, building stability, and creating new opportunities for the next generation.
For Frank, teaching is more than instruction, it’s a shared journey. One where belonging fuels growth, and where both students and teachers continue becoming, together.
Translating Experience into Opportunity: Alma Rosa’s Journey of Becoming
When Alma Rosa arrived in the United States, she brought with her years of professional experience and strong academic credentials. But like many internationally trained professionals, she quickly encountered a familiar challenge, how to translate that experience into something employers here would recognize and value.
Despite her qualifications, Alma Rosa felt uncertain about how to navigate the job market. She came to PODER seeking guidance and was connected with a Student Member Advisor who worked with her one-on-one to assess her experience and uncover the full scope of her strengths.
Together, they reimagined her professional story, crafting a strategic resume that clearly communicated her accomplishments, transferable skills, and value. Through this process, Alma Rosa began to see her experience differently, not as something that needed to be rebuilt, but as something that could be translated, elevated, and recognized.
One key barrier remained: her academic credentials needed to be formally validated in the United States. PODER connected her with trusted partners who specialize in credential evaluation. With their support, her degrees were successfully translated and recognized, allowing her to present her qualifications with confidence.
Today, Alma Rosa moves forward with a polished resume, validated credentials, and a renewed sense of confidence in her career pathway. She is actively applying for roles aligned with her experience and goals, equipped not just with tools, but with a stronger sense of belonging in the professional spaces she is entering.
Her journey is a powerful reminder that when talent is supported and experience is recognized, new pathways open.
At PODER, we are proud to walk alongside professionals like Alma Rosa as they transform what they already carry into what comes next.
Because when people feel they belong, they gain the confidence to keep becoming.
Join us for an evening of connection, culture, and community at this year’s 10th Annual Conversations, Cocktails y El Grito, a celebration that brings together partners, supporters, and champions of PODER’s mission.
This special event is more than a gathering, it’s an opportunity to invest in belonging and fuel the pathways that help our community keep becoming.
Become a Sponsor today and help make this moment possible while elevating your commitment to our community.
Save the Date and be part of a powerful evening you won’t want to miss!
Add to Calendar
At PODER, real change takes shape when we move forward together. Every effort, no matter the size, strengthens our community and deepens the sense of belonging we are building each day.
Whether you’re giving your time as a volunteer, supporting through a donation, collaborating as a partner, or staying engaged with our work, you are helping create pathways to opportunity, dignity, and shared power.
Every step makes a difference. Every connection moves us closer.
Let’s continue growing, together. Let’s continue building, together. Let’s continue rising, together.
Explore current openings from
PODER community partners.
Nonprofit & Community
- Brighton Park Neighborhood Council: Grant Writer and Evaluation Specialist
- Metropolitan Family Services: Lead Infant Toddler Teacher- 63rd St
- Metropolitan Family Services: Part-Time Maintenance Worker- Loomis
Banking & Finance
- Enova: Talent Development Program Coordinator (Hybrid)
- Enova: Asset Liability Management Associate (Hybrid)
- Enova: Customer Service Supervisor (Hybrid)
- Enova: Site Reliability Engineer Team Lead (Hybrid)
- More Openings from Enova
- Huntington Bank: Customer Experience Banker in Bartlett
- Huntington Bank: Customer Experience Banker in Cicero
- Huntington Bank: Customer Experience Banker in Glendale
- Huntington Bank: Financial Relationship Banker in Bolingbrook
- PNC Bank: 18th and Clark – Personal Banker
- PNC Bank: 73rd and Stony Island – Personal Banker
- PNC Bank: Lincoln Park Clark – Personal Banker
Health
- Esperanza Health Centers: Dietitian
- Esperanza Health Centers: Lead Medical Assistant (Bilingual; English/Spanish)
- Esperanza Health Centers: Care Coordinator (Bilingual English / Spanish)
- Esperanza Health Centers: Revenue Cycle Manager
- More Openings from Esperanza Health Centers
- Sinai Chicago: Patient Safety Assistant Registry in Chicago
- Sinai Chicago: Unit Secretary in Chicago
Other
- Allstate: Inside Sales Representative
- AT&T: Call Center Sales Representative
- BCBS: Customer Advocate 1
- BCBS Pilsen: Customer Advocate 1
- More Openings from Skills for Chicago
- HBK Engineering: Utility Locator