Author: AACORN Staff
We want to say a very special thank you to Emily Birtles and the rest of the Matt Mulder Real Estate team. They selected AACORN to receive a generous $500 donation this quarter. We invited them out to the farm to say a heartfelt thank you, hold some baby goats, and take some pictures! Thank you again – we so appreciate having great community support from fantastic organizations like the Matt Mulder Real Estate Team.
Say hello to our first set of baby goats! Crystal, one of our Nubian goats gave birth to four furry babies on Wednesday April 13th. Introducing April Showers, May Flowers, June, and Julio. We are anticipating more baby goats within the next couple of days from our other three Nubian goats, Penny, Wendy, and Peaches. Keep an eye out for an update!
Photo credit to AACORN’s resident photographer, Ashley Beach Photography.
Meet the newest member of our community, Aacorn Program Director Melissa Alexander.
Keep an eye out for upcoming weekly blog posts about Aacorn’s activities and adventures.
Also on the way- baby goats, due Spring 2022!
Spotlight on staff: Nayely Garcia
The Kalamazoo native had her eye on AACORN as she was deciding which organization to choose for her summer internship.
“I wanted to expand my experience,” Garcia said.
She has past experience working with people with developmental disabilities as a camp counselor for the City of Kalamazoo Department of Parks and Recreation.
Garcia’s interest also took her abroad in Costa Rica in January 2020. She spent three months studying programs based on community and global health.
“We learned about the health system in Costa Rica and the vulnerable populations over there,” she said.
During her stay in Costa Rica she volunteered weekly teaching English to adults with developmental disabilities. These experiences are what drew Garcia to AACORN, especially the unique opportunity it offers the participants.
“Working on a farm is just something neat,” she said.
Garcia, who will be a senior in the fall, is currently studying psychology and her education is expected to be helpful in creating behavioral plans, among other aspects.
“Because she understands the behavioral psychology aspect of this job,” said Program Manager Chapin Cole.
On top of that, Garcia is an artist and is helping making beautiful signs to go around the farm, including a sign for the new petting zoo.
While her six week internship comes to an end this week, Garcia said she is very happy to know that her time on the farm will not.
“I had gained a connection with all the participants here,” she said. “I just love this organization, I was kind of sad that I was going to leave.”
And when she’s not on the farm, Garcia loves hanging out with her family, crafting, and going on adventures.
She plans on more adventures after graduating from Kalamazoo college. Garcia is planning to attend graduate school in Michigan to further explore her interest in psychology. She is still deciding whether she will study behavioral, developmental, or educational psychology.
If you happen to be on the farm on Tuesdays and Thursdays make sure to say hi to Nayely and check out her beautiful art around the farm!
