When Ian and Ruthie North moved to the Buford Highway neighborhood in 2009, they felt responsible for meeting the needs of their neighbors. They saw many of the children in their community struggling with schoolwork, which led them to create Presencia, a nonprofit, after-school program.

As children move through the Presencia, they have the opportunity to find success academically and watch their community grow, creating a support network for families that otherwise wouldn’t have it. 

“Presencia is a grassroots, neighborhood-based nonprofit,” Ian North said. “We build healthy community around the children of immigrants so they can learn, grow and lead with love. In our after-school program, children play, enjoy healthy meals and learn to relate to themselves and others under the care of mentors who grew up in their neighborhood.”

Ian North said he sees Presencia as a way to benefit his community and support his neighbors. He has watched children grow up in the program.

“Children build healthy relationships, eat healthy meals and get the support they need to grow through difficult circumstances,” Ian North said. “Parents who would otherwise be without support now have a place to gather, a community committed to supporting them and a healthy space where their kids can connect and grow.”

Ian North said he wanted to move into an immigrant neighborhood because he and his family feel passionate about assisting the immigrant community in any way that they can. 

“Over the years, I observed that the children of immigrants have the same needs as any kid — safety, caring adults, friends, nutrition, education — but because of racism, poverty and language barriers, they have a much harder time meeting those needs,” North said.

The program was born out of a desire to be a good neighbor and an unexpected opportunity that came shortly after the North family moved to the Buford Highway area.

“Ruthie and I moved into an immigrant neighborhood with the idea of caring for our neighbors, but we didn’t know exactly how that would look,” Ian North said. “One day, a parent knocked on our door to ask us for help on his son’s homework. [After that] we decided to start opening our door to help neighborhood kids with their homework, and the rest of Presencia’s work grew from there.”

As the after-school program gained popularity, the Norths began hiring their former students to help them run Presencia. The organization has continued to serve those in need, often the children of immigrants in the Buford Highway area.

“Students who grow up in our after-school program and show leadership potential are trained and hired as part of our team to help lead the next generation,” North said. “All five of our program staff grew up as Presencia students and graduated from our leadership cohort.”

Presencia is not only an afterschool program, it is also a jewelry business, which provides former students with job opportunities to start building their resumes.

“We give many of our students economic opportunities and a first job through our social enterprise, where they create and sell handmade jewelry in pop-up shops and local events,” North said. “Through our pop-up shops and events, people can talk with our youth, learn about Presencia and support our programs. Our youth who work these events gain income, experience in retail work and a job reference to take with them into other workplaces.”

One such student is Katie Garduño, who is now the program director for Presencia. Though she is 21 now, she first became involved in the program when she was 4.

“Ian and Ruthie knocked on my door and invited me to join their group for homework help and snacks,” Garduño said. “That early experience shaped my connection to the community and the work I do today.”

Garduño said she’s watched children gain confidence, families feel less isolated and future leaders become empowered. 

“I love being the person I needed as a child,” Garduño said. “I enjoy helping kids who face the same struggles I once did whether it’s ADHD, poverty, systemic oppression or just coming from an immigrant family. Beyond the kids, I also really appreciate supporting parents: providing rides, helping them gain resources or translating forms, because those were things my mom once needed. It’s full circle.”

Garduño said Presencia shaped her professionally and as a person. She has enjoyed getting to be a mentor for the next generation.

“It taught me patience, kindness and leadership,” Garduño said. “I grew from being a child in the program to now leading it. And while I do give myself credit for all of my accomplishments, it’s the belief and support that I received from mentors like Ian and Ruthie that planted that confidence. Now I’m passing that forward to our other kiddos.”

Presencia mentor Joselyn Suazo shares a similar story. Her family has been connected to the Presencia program since its inception, when it was first called Ruthie’s. She was a toddler when her older sister Wanda first attended the program.

“I value how Presencia supports immigrant families by providing resources and solutions to challenges like language barriers and personal struggles,” Suazo said.

Suazo describes how she’s become more involved in the program over the years and enjoys helping in the after-school program and watching the children grow both personally and academically. 

“Presencia has impacted me mentally and emotionally by teaching me the importance of being present with the kids, showing them love and support, and reminding them that their mentors are people they can come to with personal issues and that we will stand by their side through it all,” Suazo said.

In addition to both the jewelry business and the after-school program, Presencia has also created a film called “Con Permiso” that premiered in February.

“My friend had the idea of making a film about a child who needs something simple, but has an incredibly hard time getting it because the adult world keeps getting in her way,” North said. “We pulled together a team that included professional filmmakers and neighbors, and made Con Permiso. The title roughly translates to ‘excuse me.’ It’s a polite way of asking for passage. We had a great premiere at a local theater, and now we’re working to organize showings for any community that wants to see and talk about it.”

North said there are many ways volunteers can get involved in Presencia’s mission, and encourages those interested to visit its website. 

“Advocates can organize film screenings and pop-up shops to spread awareness of the issues our community faces and how to address them,” North said. “Supporters can organize food drives or other fundraising events to keep our work going. People who engage with our students can show up, serve food, help with homework and build cross-cultural relationships that help our students thrive. Because our work is based on the power of loving presence over time, we ask these volunteers to commit to at least one semester of consistent attendance.”