Member Spotlight: Pantry
This month, we’re sharing a story of the resilience our members bring with them when they come to Sacred Heart Community Service. Cristen is the mother of two amazing kids. After leaving an unstable and volatile living situation in Arizona, she and the kids moved into her mother’s house here in San Jose.
Moving states is a difficult transition for anyone, and that strain is intensified when there isn’t a job lined up and waiting for you when you arrive. Cristen had to leave her connections and safety nets behind and move to an unfamiliar city while also caring for her young children. The emotional strain of those big changes can be overwhelming.
Luckily for Cristen, her mother has been a regular member of SHCS for years and had built trust and connections with the staff and volunteers she encountered here. Cristen’s mom brought her along to receive services. Silicon Valley is a hard place to live for many of our low income and BIPOC neighbors, and our members are disproportionately affected by the economic, social, and racial oppression that persists in our culture. Cristen was able to receive food to feed her family, and job finding services to help her find her footing in her new community. SHCS also helped her find referrals for mental health experts to help care for her holistic health during this time of transition.
When we spoke to her for this spotlight, Cristen expressed that she truly feels safe, secure, and trusting of SHCS because of the strong connections her mother had forged here. She now has stable employment and is working with a clinician to help heal the traumas she’s endured to get here. Her focus now is on fighting for her children to have the best opportunities available.
In order to build a community united to end poverty, we work alongside those directly affected by it. Our members share their lived experiences with us and drive the direction of our programs. Cristen and her family embody this partnership that we strive to form with our members. They, and families like theirs, are our why.