Share
Eleven years ago, Marisol Perez was seeking a way to get more involved in the Latino community around her. When researching volunteer opportunities, Perez, a real estate agent with Long & Foster Real Estate in Devon, Pa., noticed ACLAMO, a nonprofit that provides resources to the Latino community, such as education services, health and wellness programs, and access to social services. Perez started volunteering with the organization’s after-school program, supporting both tutors and students.
Not long after, she was asked to join ACLAMO’s board of directors. “Right now, I’m chair of the facilities committee, and it fits perfectly,” Perez says.
She majored in architecture in college before becoming a real estate professional, and ACLAMO was in need of guidance as it expanded its physical footprint to better serve the growing needs of the community. Perez’s professional and educational background positioned her to oversee the nonprofit’s purchase and rehab of a larger building to house all of its services.
Read more stories of REALTORS®’ extraordinary service to their communities at the REALTORS® Are Good Neighbors Facebook and Instagram pages. Don’t forget to share your volunteer story.
“We moved from a small building of 3,800 square feet to a 37,000-square-foot building,” she says. “It’s an amazing building—a historic church—that dates back to 1829 and has had several renovations over time.”
The church is in the heart of the Latino community in the Philadelphia suburbs. Perez says it’s important to the organization to maintain the integrity of the building’s history while creating a cohesive, usable space.
With community at the core of ACLAMO’s vision for its expansion, Perez says she and the board have intentionally chosen construction teams, project managers and architects who are local. Many also are minority-owned businesses. “We wanted local people who really understood the legacy of the building and would help preserve what the community had,” Perez says. “They have a personal investment in what we’re doing.”
ACLAMO’s services are expanding as well. In addition to after-school tutoring and other existing social services, the nonprofit now offers college readiness programs for teens as well as cooking classes and medical care. The organization also provides a space for seniors where they can come together and find community.
ACLAMO is in the second phase of construction, scheduled for completion in late October, Perez says. This phase includes an expanded food pantry, community closet, offices and a kitchen. The third phase will include accessibility features like ramps and elevators, expanded social services and more offices.
“Every day, I get emails because the construction is moving fast. I’m approving everything from wallpaper to flooring,” Perez says.
Thanks to the increase in space and the expansion of services, Perez says, ACLAMO is now able to serve not only the Latino community but others as well. “We want to help anyone who needs help,” she adds.
Even though she’s on the board, Perez says, she doesn’t want to lose the connection to her community and to the individuals who seek the services ACLAMO provides, so she still volunteers as well. “I volunteer for food and toy distribution, helping fill out vaccination forms—whatever is needed. This is an amazing place, and every time I see someone succeed or find happiness or the resources they need, it gives me this boost of energy. I’m always thinking about how we can build on what we’ve started and keep helping.”
