Three PEPPI Staffers

Celebrate 20 Years at LSF

24 October 2009

By Thomas L. Weitzel, LSF Communications

Three staff members of PEPPI Head Start in Belle Glade celebrated their 20th anniversaries at Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) in October.  They are Sarah Canty, Gloria Willis and Rose Gooden.

PEPPI Head Start provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income pre-school children and their families.

Sarah Canty, who serves as an Administrative Assistant, first came to PEPPI as a result of a job search.

"I applied for the position and was offered the job," she said.  "I stayed here because of the belief that I made a difference each day at PEPPI."

Teacher Gloria Willis echoes those same sentiments.

"I was inspired to come to Peppi Head Start because I knew I could make a different in the lives of children and families," said Willis.  "I have continued to work here because I have a love for teaching children and advocating for families."

All three staff members have worked with a lot of  pre-school children over the 20 years of their service to LSF at PEPPI.  As a result, they have concretely witnessed the benefits that the Head Start program and their individual efforts have brought to many lives.

"When you look back over the years you see the great outcome of the children that you have given a head start in life,"  said teacher Rose Gooden, who first came to PEPPI as a volunteer and then was invited to apply for a position.   "I have one young lady who returned this summer to intern on her law degree.  I have one young man in the NFL, and several others are teaching school."

From that 20 year vantage point, Canty sees all their work from a broad perspective.

"My 20th anniversary has meant serving not only the children of the center," she said, "but also the community as a whole."

Congratulations and thanks to Sarah Canty, Gloria Willis and Rose Gooden for 20 years of service to others through LSF.

To read more about LSF's PEPPI Head Start, click here.

Picture above by Miriam White.  Left to right: Sarah Canty, Rose Gooden, Gloria Willis.
 

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