A View into Esmeralda’s Life

Esmeralda came to CHD looking for an opportunity to better assist her mom. Esmeralda’s mom is a farmworker, she specifically works in the grape fields. As the second oldest sibling, Esmeralda felt helpless and sad to see her mother get up early in the morning with freezing temperatures. The struggles weren’t better during the hot months because she would sweat profusely, and get sunburnt from the scorching and relentless high temperatures.

Esmeralda’s mom was receiving some assistance from Senior Case Manager, Lorena Sotelo. Through one of the interactions that Lorena had with her mom, she told her about our Work Experience Program (WEX) that Esmeralda could benefit from. Esmeralda’s mom mentioned the program to her and encouraged her to speak with Lorena to proceed.  Esmeralda wasted no time and was beyond excited to apply and see if she qualified to be part of the program. After learning about the WEX Program, she was eager to do her training in our Immigration and Citizenship Program. Unfortunately, life happens and you never know what is coming your way. Esmeralda and her family received some devastating news in regards to Esmeralda’s health. Esmeralda was unable to proceed with the program since she was about to tackle her hardest battle against cancer.

Today, Esmeralda comes out as a survivor and an inspiration because she is cancer-free and determined to take the lead in her life and aspirations. She came back to Lorena to see if she still qualified for the program and there was an opportunity to work in the Administration Department as the receptionist. Esmeralda was grateful that she could once again forge a path to self-sufficiency, but she was a little sad that she didn’t get the opportunity to work in the Immigration and Citizenship Division. Esmeralda’s dedication and efforts were recognized and she was transferred over to the Immigration and Citizenship Division. Esmeralda will be given all the tools and knowledge that she needs to be successful in her WEX training and her path to a better future for herself and her family. CHD is honored to have Esmeralda be part of our team and can’t wait to see how far she goes. Keep on thriving, Esmeralda!

Our Work Experience Program is great because it will allow individuals to gain experience in different fields. To learn more and see if you qualify, contact us!