|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Until recently, Westminster Christian School senior Gabriela Baez co-chaired the Abuelos Foundation Club at school. The Abuelos Foundation is an organization that helps the elderly with monthly grocery deliveries and other services.
“You get an address and phone number of someone who is older, and you drop off a bag of groceries,” she says. “They give a list of all the things to buy and bring it in a really big tote bag. You spend your own money.”
The deliveries consist of canned goods, rice, and certain seasonings.
“We usually write a little note inside the bag, just to make it feel a little more personal,” she says.
Her deliveries were usually made in the Cutler Bay area. She received her assignments through a What’s App group.
“I became involved because my friend was close with the foundation and she asked me if I wanted to be involved,” she says.
She started in her sophomore year and spent more time volunteering her junior year. Sometimes, the teens would go to the Smathers Apartments to hand out flyers for parties sponsored by the foundation or give out Christmas ornaments and cookies. She says the seniors would ask them to come in for coffee and a chat. They would speak to the seniors in Spanish and English.
“Some are really open to talking,” she says. “We went to this apartment complex for elderly people and gave out flyers for a party. These two abuelas invited to us their apartment and gave us coffee. They talked to us.”
Baez’s father was a professional baseball player in Cuba who defected when the team went to Canada. He made his way to the U.S. and pitched in the majors for the Phillies, the Orioles, the Dodgers, Tampa, the Guardians and the Braves.
At school, Baez is a cheerleader, which takes up a lot of her free time.
“I’m a varsity cheer captain this year,” she says. “I’ve been varsity cheer team since freshman year. I’ve been cheering since I was little but just in clubs.”
This is a rebuilding year for the cheer squad with the introduction of new coaches for the program.
“We’re going to start a competition team, but we haven’t yet,” she says. “Now we are at games and pep rallies, and school events.”
This year, Baez is in student leadership. She’s also a member of the National Honor Society, the National English Honor Society, the National Art Honor Society, Rho Kappa and the World Languages Honor Society.
She is in the Approaches to Leadership class. Students in that class set up the school’s weekly chapels.
“We communicate with the speakers and brainstorm to increase student engagement,” she says.
High school students are still being affected by the COVID pandemic and the changes it brought with the pause in so many activities and school.
“Everything is just so different now,” she says. “We went from a whole year-and-a-half at home in our rooms to being around 600 kids all the time. We were on our phones and laptops for so long, just to get back to engaging one-on-one has been tough.”
Her proposed major on her college applications is mainly in the business-related realm, including marketing. She’s already been accepted to Florida State University, TCU, SMU, High Point University, Wake Forest and Vanderbilt. She’s waiting to hear from the University of Miami and some others.
Baez volunteers in the summer with little kids at the various summer camps held at Westminster including Cheer Camp, the Arts and Science Camp and the Fun Camp.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
ABOUT US:
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael@communitynewspapers.com or Grant@communitynewspapers.com.
