Member Story: Economic Empowerment - Every Little Thing Helps

A member graduating from the Logrando Juntos program in Economic Empowerment.

Just one year ago, while looking for help doing her taxes, Veronica came across SHCS.  She is a single mother of a middle school student and was working in the catering department for a local family food market.  Since she lives close by and had seen some fliers about the VITA program – which provides people with low income tax preparation by trained volunteers to assure individuals don’t miss any credits and receive the full refund they are due – she decided to get her taxes prepared at SHCS.

At her tax appointment program staff shared other opportunities Veronica could access by becoming a member of SHCS. The Digital Inclusion program instantly caught her interest. This program awards a free laptop to those who complete an online course in basic computer and internet use. Veronica was excited by what this would mean for her and her son who, up until then, only relied on her phone to access technology and the computer at work. In her quintessentially-disciplined approach, she completed the course in six weeks and received the laptop! 

“The fact that I was able to get a laptop from the program is great because my son can use it for his homework and Zoom meetings with his class. Also I can use it for my classes at Sacred Heart instead of my phone. It helps us a lot,” she says.

Veronica was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of two immigrants from Mexico, but when she was four years old, her mother and children returned to Jalisco to take care of the ailing grandmother and stayed. It was not until she was 21, having completed her high school education in Mexico as “profesor de technica informatica” – teaching kids how to use technology – that she returned to LA to join her father. She describes it as “a move to another world, very difficult” due to the challenge of learning a new language and the shock from the high cost of survival in this country. “What was the most difficult is everything is so expensive from gas to food,” Veronica says, sharing that she has to be very disciplined. “I get my paycheck every two weeks and make sure that everything will be covered. Sometimes I can even save a little money,” she says.

 Her tight-knit family reunited and all moved to San Jose. She got a job at a restaurant and then at the family market where she worked for nine years starting in the deli and growing in responsibility within the department including being in charge of the food shows and being the cashier. Veronica took a lot of pride in offering very personal service. 

“Every time there was a chance to learn something new, I thought why not try something different?” she says. As much as she loved the job, there were no medical or other benefits and she knew that was important.

Once Veronica had her own laptop, she was able to revise her resume, fill out applications online, and transition to a new job. She now works in the reception/front office for a company that sells electrical supplies and inside lighting. Veronica is the cashier but also is learning about accounts receivable, processing checks and how to contact vendors. She is valued for her high-quality customer service. Though she misses the food world, she knows this is a better job because she gets full benefits.

Veronica says, “[SHCS] is important to me because they help us to learn how to save money and do budgets. Also the classes are very interesting because all the classes are about a different topic and the coaches are always happy to help if we have some questions. I mentioned to my friends and neighbors that I totally recommend them.” 

Veronica continues to take advantage of every opportunity that she can use in Economic Empowerment. She has graduated from Logrando Juntos which helped her learn how to rebuild her credit. Now she is doing CalFresh once a month and is planning on earning the $500 bonus for saving $500 in one year.

“Every little thing helps,” she says.

This spring, Economic Empowerment will move to 550 S. First Street to utilize the new dignified spaces we’ve created that include small private meeting rooms for coaching, large open spaces for workshops and our VITA program, and space for our dedicated staff. For people that want to volunteer or participate in this program, the starting point, including making appointments will continue to be our home base at 1381 S. 1st Street.