Many can attest to the amount of impact that this agency has had in their lives and my family is one of those thousands and thousands of families out there.
– Irma Morin, executive director of the Community Council of Idaho, Caldwell, ID
If someone were to ask me at the age of five what I wanted to be when I grew up, I wouldn't imagine myself saying that I would be the executive director for Idaho's largest nonprofit serving Latinos. The path that I took for a career revolved around the wonderful experiences I had with, what was formerly known as, the Idaho Migrant Council, and now Community Council of Idaho, Inc. Many can attest to the amount of impact that this agency has had in their lives and my family is one of those thousands and thousands of families out there. As a child, I was enrolled at "De Colores Head Start Center" which at the time was located at Lakeview Park in Nampa, ID. At the time, my family didn't know that our roots with this agency would not end at a Head Start Center.
As a migrant family, my family and I continued our journey to Lodi, CA alongside other farmworkers. I myself began working in the fields at the age of 11. Throughout my childhood, what I defined as the hardest jobs in the world was that of farmworkers. As a migrant farmworker child and as one of many across the United States, I dealt with the challenges of consistency in my education. It wasn't until my family decided to make Idaho their home that I was able to begin to build a connection with a community. I had the opportunity to expand the world I had known. With the support of my parents, I challenged myself in every way I could. The vision of my parents seeing me walk down the aisle with a college graduation cap and diploma was the ultimate gift I could give my parents for all that they had done for me.
My journey in achieving this goal was not easy but, through the assistance of Community Council of Idaho, Inc., I was able to pay for tuition and textbooks throughout my undergraduate career. In 1992, I was able to walk down the aisle when I received my Bachelor of Science in accounting from Boise State University. Following my graduation, I knew what I wanted to do: Give back to the agency that had done so much for me. I did exactly that when I applied for a position at the Community Council of Idaho, Inc.
When I speak to my parents of the major impact that Community Council of Idaho, Inc. programs have in the state of Idaho all that can be seen is a big smile. They are not smiling because of the title I hold with this agency but, instead, they are so proud of the little girl who grew up to dedicate her life to expanding the services that farmworkers and low-income populations once never had or dreamed of having.
I couldn't have made it this far without the ongoing support of my beloved husband of 19 years and my three loving children.
My commitment to this agency has not changed as I continue to find ways to better serve the needs of Idaho's Latinos and low-income populations.