InteGreat! was honored on Wednesday, October 26th at the Governor’s mansion in Denver, Colorado. In partnership with the Colorado Workforce Center, InteGreat! provided a summer internship for a young adult from Vail Valley. InteGreat! is a community coalition of people and organizations in Eagle County. They are collaborating to create a community system that effectively supports health and learning for all children.
It takes a special kind of person to work at the front desk of the Salvation Army. Serving around 500 families a month, we see about 25 clients a day. Add to that numerous volunteers and donating community members, one gets an idea of the many inquires a person addresses every day.
In addition to honoring InteGreat!, Karely Duran Ruiz was also honored. Karely increases the capacity of the Vail Valley Salvation Army (VVSA), our county’s primary food assistance resource, by managing the pantry and assisting and directing clients. Karley is strategically positioned at the front desk to welcome one and all. She routinely organizes deliveries of donations, directs volunteers to specific tasks, and kindly assists all clients in crisis. Additionally, she is involved in several data entry projects that directly assist our one and only case manager in tracking services provided by the VVSA. Karely’s friendly and professional demeanor aid her in navigating the many tough situations she comes across as the first person one encounters when they walk through the door of the Salvation Army.
Karely matches her ability to multitask with her ability to empathize. It must be acknowledged that working at the Salvation Army can be emotionally taxing. Karely is mature enough to handle the added stress and properly direct clients to community resources. Her kind approach is irreplaceable to clients and those of us lucky enough to work with her.
Karely immigrated to the United States in first grade. She struggled to learn English in elementary school and feel accepted as a young Mexican-American. However, by senior year of high school Karely was invited by the superintendent, Jason Glass, to become a founding member of a community coalition called, InteGreat! She worked to make administrators more aware of the challenges facing youth in Eagle County. Many of the challenges of poverty, violence, and substance use she experienced herself growing up in the Eagle River Village Mobile Home Park.
She is dedicated to making Eagle County a better place for youth and families. It would be easy for a young mom to be absorbed in the realm of her home life, but Karely remains plugged in to social issues and involved in the non-profit sector of our community.The young adult, Karely absolutely flourished in her summer internship and was offered a job from the Salvation Army after the internship.