Legal Wellness Clinic at TFD

This month, we were grateful to host with the Legal Wellness Clinic team for their very first Legal Check-Up at The Firehouse Dream. Community members had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a licensed attorney and walk through a series of questions covering key areas such as immigration, housing, family matters, employment and public benefits, debt and credit, and future/safety planning.

After each conversation, participants received a personalized Legal Wellness Plan outlining any areas of concern and next steps they could take. It was a meaningful way to offer clarity, support, and peace of mind to our community.

We’re thankful to the Legal Wellness Clinic team for partnering with us and for their commitment to making legal guidance more accessible to our community.

Tequihua Self-defense at TFD

Last week, we hosted a Tequihua self‑defense workshop led by our facilitator, Valerie Sanchez, welcoming a space dedicated to empowering women through practical self-defense and martial arts. We brought together ten community members, including four moms who brought their daughters to learn alongside them. The room filled quickly with curiosity, laughter, and a shared commitment to learning how to stay safe and confident.

We opened with stretches and introductions. Adults shared their names and what they do, while the kids lit up as they told us who they hope to become when they grow up. From there, Valerie guided everyone into a proper fighting stance and introduced basic techniques called cookies and turtle stance.

Participants paired up to practice what they learned, cheering each other on as they tried new movements. Valerie then led a round of punches and kicks, giving everyone a chance to build strength and trust in their bodies. We wrapped up the workshop with a circle of team high‑fives!

Winter/Spring Youth Programming Showcase

Thank you to the Village of Maywood for putting together the Youth Programming Showcase. We had such a fun time connecting with our neighbors as we shared our programs and initiatives. We shared resources that are available, from our one-on-one talk therapy program, our financial counseling, art therapy at the firehouse and more. We also shared about volunteer opportunities coming up for our Mental Health Kit giveaway at our local schools.

It was so great to meet new neighbors and see familiar faces, and to get the chance to connect and learn more about the different types of resources Maywood has to offer for our community!

Four Projects

We’re so excited to share the four projects that our Summer Mentees were able to accomplish during our 6 week mentorship program.

1. The Quinn Center

Our Summer Mentees were able to photograph children at The Quinn Centers annual summer camp this year, they put to use all of the skills they learned throughout the 6 week Mentorship.

2. Maywoodian Families

A group of five mentees photographed families who live in Maywood, as well as made a blog post about each individual family and their story of how they came to Maywood.

3. Video | Food Desert Conversation

Another group of five mentees created, shot, planned, and edited a podcast video talking about the challenges our community faces.

4. Individual Headshots

Our Summer Mentees teamed up to photograph headshots of each other. They utilized their skills that they learned throughout the 6 week mentorship cohort.

Part 1 | Part 2

Maywoodian Families

Hello! We are a group of Firehouse Mentees trying to share the stories of families in Maywood. We wanted to share the faces of our community and show the diverse stories that make up Maywood. We also wanted to spotlight the experiences and opportunities that the Maywood community has brought for each of the families. We are excited to present these unique stories and we hope you enjoy learning more about your neighbors and the history of this great community! Thank you to all the families who shared their stories with us, we couldn’t have done it without you!

1. The Arteaga Family

Meet the Arteaga Family!

2. The Hurt Family

Meet the Hurt Family!

3. The Bustamante Family

Meet the Bustamante Family!

4. The Hernandez-Franco Family

Meet the Hernandez-Franco Family!

5. The Wellington Family

Meet the Wellington Family!