Sacramento Promise Zone
Community Spotlight #002, December 16, 2016
Ashlei Hurst
Posted on December 16, 2016 by Cindy Bui, Health VISTA
Ashlei Hurst serves as a Resident Services Manager at Mercy Housing in Sacramento. Her work extends beyond the traditional role as she works on-site at the Leataata Floyd (LFE) Student and Family Community Center, which serves students and families living in the Marina Vista and Alder Grove public housing communities. Her work is a part of the mission to create a community school at LFE, and she partners with over 26 various community organizations to provide students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive in both school and life. Some key partners include Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Bayside Church of Midtown and Keller Williams Realty. Whatever the need in the community, Ashlei works with her supportive partners to fill it.
In addition to her work at LFE, she leads Project Voice, which teaches 9th-12th grade young women how to be leaders and social advocates in their community. She also leads Project Food, a community-based food literacy program that increase food knowledge, cooking skills, and healthy choices among young people. The project will allow youth to understand the impact of their food choices on their health, the environment, and our economy. Project Food will end with a showcase in April 2017 at the Tsakpoulos Library Galleria in downtown Sacramento.
Ashlei says she finds great joy working with her students and families. Before working at Mercy, she was attending graduate school at UC Davis, and knew she wanted to work at LFE, but there was no position available. With Mercy Housing’s support, an innovative, community-focused position developed and everything fell into place. She feels she is where she is supposed to be.
Ashlei would like to see the Marina Vista and Alder Grove public housing communities redeveloped so students and families have a home and community that they are proud of, where they feel safe, and that gives them all the opportunities they deserve. She hopes that Leataata Floyd becomes the best school in Sacramento as it provides holistic support to nurture its students and families.
For more information on all the community resources provided at LFE, please refer to their Community Resource Guide. Visit SacramentoPromiseZone.org to nominate a spotlight in your community!
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