ABOUT US
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Hands to the Future provides education and career guidance paired with wrap-around support services for refugees and immigrants pursuing post-secondary options.
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We believe we are all worthy of manifesting our potential and having a positive impact on our community
We believe we build strong communities through justice and peace
Because we have a shared humanity, we believe
OUR TEAM
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Armando Peniche
MANAGER OF PROGRAM & OUTREACH (he/him)
Armando Peniche was born in Puebla, Mexico, and raised in Denver, Colorado. With years of experience as a project manager and coordinator, he currently serves as the Mentorship Coordinator with Hands to the Future. Drawing from his story and lived experience as a first-generation immigrant, Armando has become a passionate advocate for immigrant rights at both the state and national levels. Beyond his professional role, Armando is an aspiring children's book writer and documentarian. He is developing children's books that feature diverse characters and fun, empowering storylines and is working on a documentary exploring a migrant's journey home. Additionally, he coaches soccer for kids in at-risk communities, providing them with opportunities to develop essential skills. Armando's proudest achievement is being a father to two beautiful children.
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Kiara Chavez
SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN (she/her)
Kiara Chavez is a first-generation graduate from Leeds School of Business with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. At Denver Parks & Recreation, she drives outreach, engagement, and communications initiatives, managing the monthly newsletter and all social media channels. Kiara is passionate about leveraging storytelling and community service to create positive change in the community. She amplifies this work as a Denver content creator through her Instagram account @wecreatedenver.
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Kendall Williams
WELL-BEING FACILITATOR (she/her)
Kendall Williams is a graduate student at the University of Denver, pursuing a Master of Social Work with a concentration in Family Systems and Mental Health. Born and raised in Colorado, she is driven by a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and the transformative power of culturally responsive social work. Kendall has experience in harm reduction, crisis intervention, program development, and youth mentorship. At school, Kendall focuses on clinical practice, trauma-informed care, and social justice advocacy. In her free time, she enjoys staying active outdoors and exploring different creative outlets.
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Sofia Rodriguez
WELL-BEING COORDINATOR (she/her)
Sofia is a Master of Social Work candidate at the University of Denver and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work with a minor in Communications from the University of Kansas. During her time at KU, she studied abroad in Milan, Italy which became an experience that solidified her passion for migrant work and education.
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Sofia grew up surrounded by a rich racial and cultural variety within a mixed household where her mother is from Golden, Colorado, and her father from Santiago, Chile. This upbringing gives her a unique perspective grounded in insight, curiosity, and an appreciation for the complexities of identity and culture. Acknowledging the privilege within her father’s immigration journey, Sofia is committed to understanding and shaping policy through an equitable, intersectional lens that ensures immigration pathways are not limited by the very identities that define us.
Her experience spans international travel, customer service, and social work with homeless and low-income communities, as well as developmental work in an elementary school setting. Her exposure to these opportunities have shaped her approach to practice, emphasizing learning, empowerment, and collaboration with the communities she serves.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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CHRISTIAN KALENGA
CHAIR (he/his)
Christian is an education professional who believes that education has the power to provide equity of opportunity. He made Colorado home after moving to the United States from Zambia over a decade ago. Since then, he has devoted his professional career to advocating for and striving to inspire others to develop self-efficacy in education and ultimately in life. Christian received a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Colorado State University- Fort Collins. Christin is the College Success Officer at The Daniel’s Fund. He also worked as the Program Director for the Westminster Public Schools Foundation and Mentorship Program at Goodwill.
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RUBEN MEDINA
SECRETARY (he/his)
For the past ten years I have worked for the city of Aurora as a supervisor of recreation centers. We were able to use the ABCD principles to get the community engaged and push the city to build a new recreation center in North Aurora. The area had a bad reputation of poverty, low-income residents, huge immigrant population, gangs, crime and youth in trouble. We started many partnerships in the community, tackled many issues around poverty, jobs, gangs, police issues, etc. The center became the hub in the community. One of our most successful projects was to get the Moorhead Community Center remodeled.
More recently, I have done consulting on community engagement for the Denver Foundation’ work in Africa. I have left the city just a few months ago to pursue community engagement work full time. I sit as a trustee of the Denver Foundation, and on 25 different committees from Basic Human Needs, Education, Inclusion, Strengthening Neighborhoods, Stapleton Foundation, etc.
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CHEVY LOWE
BOARD MEMBER (she/her)
Chevy Lowe is the director of The College Place-Colorado. She has 10 years of experience helping students pursue higher education. In her work at The College Place, she enjoys watching students' faces light up once they realize a postsecondary education can be affordable. She holds a BA from State University of West Georgia and an MBA from Webster University.
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Amani Abdallah
BOARD MEMBER (he/his)
Amani Abdallah, a Burundian born and raised in a Tanzanian refugee camp in Rukole. In 2015 that he arrived in the USA. Through learning, I began to develop a sense of purpose, and as I came to see the world from diverse perspectives, I developed an insistent hunger to discover new worlds. Moving into the future, the challenges I tackle no longer revolve around me. I am advancing my education to become a PA or a physician.
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TRACY SMALL
BOARD MEMBER( she/her)
As a board member, I am “Futureproofing the organization.” The Board of Directors is a working, community-driven, fundraising group of strong individuals.
The world is growing and changing all the time, with new capabilities, possibilities, and risks entering our consciousness. Regular training, discussions, evaluations, and strategic planning help you avoid treading water and keep you competitive by ensuring you are on top of new technology and current best practices.
THANK YOU!
We believe in the power of community, collaboration, and shared vision. Here at Hands to the Future, we couldn't be more grateful to the extraordinary network of partners who have contributed to our cause. Their generous donations are not mere transactions but vital partnerships that fuel our work and help us bring about meaningful change. We are continually inspired by their dedication to our mission. A heartfelt thank you to each of our sponsors – together, we're transforming lives and crafting a brighter future for those we serve.
