HAZLETON, Pa. — Rossanna Gabriel has walked the halls of the Hazleton One Community Center on East 4th Street in Hazleton, home to the Hazleton Integration Project, for more than ten years.
Her first strides were different than they are now. A single mother, she came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 2012. Hesitant at first, Gabriel says she knew she needed to take the next step.
"I said, 'Okay, I'm going to the United States. Let me find something different for my son and maybe more opportunities,'" says Rossanna Gabriel.
Gabriel was involved in her community back in the Dominican Republic. She says she wanted to continue serving in the community when she moved to the U.S. The Hazleton One Community Center had just opened when she settled in the city in 2013, opening doors of opportunity for service.
"Two days after I arrived for good, I came to the center to offer my services as a volunteer," Gabriel recalled.
At the time, she knew no English, so she took ESL classes at the center while also volunteering. When she decided she needed a full-time job, the center offered her one.
Over the years, she's worn many hats, including being an assistant to the executive director. After some time, she was offered the role of Executive Director for the Hazleton Integration Project, or HIP, in 2019. Since then, HIP has garnered many awards, including Charitable Organization of the Year. Reaching new heights in her career, Gabriel says her goals have always been very clear.
"Help others. I believe in the cycle. If I help somebody, then that person is going to help somebody else," explained Gabriel.
HIP at the Hazleton One Community Center has helped more than 500 people become U.S. Citizens, and more than 700 people face food insecurity.
"Not only with the Latino people. I'm very proud of the Latino people. I'm very proud to be Latina, but I'm living here, and I want to participate in both communities," said Gabriel.
Throughout her long journey, Rossanna Gabriel has advocated for hundreds of people who have walked through the doors of the Hazleton One Community Center looking for a new start and a bright future.
That's why we give a 16 salute to Rossanna Gabriel.