In December 2021, Angela Arce vacated the position of Counselor at the Center after 29 years of service to the community. Counseling services stopped, and the Board began an extensive search for a new bilingual counselor. With great joy, the Board announces that Zaida Ortiz began serving as Christian Counselor for the Community Center on May 5.
Zaida is a professional in Educational Psychology, with more than 25 years of experience in varied church, labor, and volunteer fields. While living in Ecuador, she studied at the Laica Vicente Rocafuerte University, where she also served as part of the teaching staff. She has studied family dynamics; special needs of children; cognitive, motor, and language difficulties; behavioral problems; and vocational careers for school-age children, adolescents, and young people.
Zaida has a master’s degree in Clinical Pastoral Counseling, a diploma in Spiritual Psychology, and is also an ordained chaplain. The mission and vision of the Alpha & Omega Community Center are a fundamental part of Zaida’s faith. She believes that messages of motivation and selfimprovement without God lead to failure, chaos, loneliness, emptiness, discouragement, and destruction. Zaida says, “I am convinced that love and service to my neighbor are a mandate.
The intention of Christian Counseling is to help clients in their search for God, leading them to a meaningful and purposeful life in which they receive forgiveness, mercy, grace, and unconditional love. This freedom helps them find balance and the ability to manage life situations in a healthy manner.”
When asked for a personal statement describing what Christian Counseling means both to her and to the community, Zaida shared, “If you have the perfect joy of the Lord, you will not avoid difficulties, but it will allow you to see them as part of the purpose of your life.” Zaida’s office is located in the Alpha & Omega Community Center. Appointments can be made by contacting the administrative assistant at 717-394-3021, Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The suggested fee is $20/session. Appointments are available on Wednesdays from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Hours will be increased according to the needs of the community. The Alpha & Omega Community Center is blessed to have Zaida on staff, helping to fulfill the Center’s purpose “to provide education and services to assist the Latino community of Lancaster County to become more productive members of the community.”
