My name is Ruth Martinez and I am proud to say that I have been working in the Lincoln Square community since I was 14 years old. At that age I didn’t think I would be spending the next 44 years here, but I am so thankful that I did.
I started working here as a youth worker and since then, I have traveled all over the organization!
I started working with the toddlers, ages 2 through 5. I then spent a few years working at the After School, and if you have been here as long as I have you, you will remember that the After School used to be right across the street!
When I noticed that the maintenance department could use a helping hand, I lent them my services for a few more years.
I then become head cook at the day care. I was able to be with the toddlers and still offer cooking classes to the kids at the After School.
I am now working with the Older Adults program – something I enjoy very much. We get to do arts crafts, exercise, and play bingo together. My favorite thing though, is learning a thing or two about their past.
Before I am ready to retire, I want to continue spending my time working with the seniors. I spent so much of my life here, and it’s beautiful to have grown up around so many of the men and women at the Older Adult Center. They taught me so much, but above all, they taught me the importance of community.
I have experienced a lot of good times and a lot of bad times, and through it all, it has been the people in this community that helped me find the light at the end of the tunnel.
Goddard and the Lincoln square community have a lot to offer—I’ve seen it first hand. Which is why I am proud to be a part of the Goddard team.