At the end of August, Casa Teresa hosted a graduation ceremony for the women in our program who completed their High School Education through American Career College's Education Foundation. This is the speech one graduate, Natalie, gave after accepting her certificate. First off I want to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for ALL he has done for me throughout my Life and I give him All the Honor and Glory for this accomplishment. I especially dedicate this accomplishment to my two-year-old son De'andre, who passed away last year. I just want to say I'm thankful for my 3 beautiful kids: Ronni, De'andre and Joel. I dedicate this diploma to them because they are the reason why I work hard through life's struggles and push forward everyday. I also would like to say I'm extremely thankful a to my Loving boyfriend Noel who would get up early every morning and come from Upland to Orange to make sure I got to school. He has truly been a blessing in many ways and I'm grateful for him. I found out I was pregnant with my baby Joel the same week my two-year-old son De'andre passed away. I felt that I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown so I decided to separate myself and get in a program. I called a friend from my old church because they have Christian woman's homes but I wasn't allowed to go there because I was pregnant. She ended up giving me the number to Casa Teresa so I called and they had room for me. Upon arrival I didn't know what to expect and I was a hot mess. But I knew I needed to be in a program where counseling was included and that was safe for me and my baby. I'm glad I gave Casa Teresa a chance to help me because I accomplished so much in my time here. I told myself, before I leave here I'm going to get something done for me and my kids. Multiple times I had gone to school for my GED but something always happened and I would quit. But this time it was different. For me, it wasn't a time for games. A lot of people thought I was hard and closed off, but really I was just focused and I told myself I couldn't leave here empty handed. I was sticking to the plan that I made with my Case Managers and Maria. I finished multiple court approved parenting classes, completed a college course in software applications, got my guard licence and completed my High School Equivalency Tests, all in only seven months. Best of all, it was completely paid for by Casa Teresa and their partners. I really do appreciate this place and believe God sent me here. I want to Thank ALL OF THE STAFF at Casa Teresa... I thank my Case Managers, Shannon and Nicole, who always pushed me to get things done. I thank Maria because she is the person who helped me get all of my education and career goals set in motion. I thank Kim and Dr. Pugh for their hard work and dedication to us woman. I thank ALL the house moms because they always handle business but they were fun to talk to and be around. But I especially thank my favorite staff member, Melissa from EMS (Emergency Maternity Shelter) and the arts and crafts lady Sharon from EMS, because they were just my favorite. And, I appreciate everybody that helps make Casa Teresa possible. To All the woman who stay at Casa Teresa, you are the definition of Iron sharpens Iron. Most of you are a little rough around the edges but one thing for sure is that you have good hearts. Thank God your at a place where you can accomplish things if you want to and where you can choose to grow for the GOOD, mentally and physically, even while your heart is under construction. Lastly, I thank my teacher Mr. Ivan Iberra because he's just a really good teacher. There were a lot of laughs in his class but we always got work done. One time he let the class do a math equation on how much my gold grill for teeth would cost and that's how I was able to pick up on math. But he taught me well and I was able to pass all five sections of my test the first time I took them, so thank you for that. I want to let everybody know that God put it in my heart not to give up and to not go crazy in the mist of my hell but to separate myself and use my two living children, and my sons death, as fuel to accomplish good things in life. I'm grateful to God for Casa Teresa and all the help they gave me. It was nothing short of a blessing.
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Notre Dame Intern Caiti shares about her experience:
I’m packing up my belongings and cleaning my room this weekend in preparation to go home to Long Beach, but it doesn’t feel quite real that my time at Casa Teresa is over. In some respects, it feels like I have been here forever, because I have become as close to some of the women in two months as I have to other friends in two years, but it also seems like I attended my first weekly breakfast yesterday. My internship was unique because I lived on-site, so I would work eight hours every day and then return to my room at the end of the hall, and spend the evenings hanging out with the moms in the community room or working out in the backyard. While it’s certainly a little more exhausting to be on-call 24/7, I am so grateful that it allowed me to develop a depth of relationship with the moms that I otherwise wouldn’t have. The time I spent with the moms was by far the most valuable part of my summer. We had multiple cinnamon-rolls-and-Moana parties, spent a whole afternoon and evening with a Lifetime movie marathon (which we mostly talked through, which was good because they’re rather awful—if you’ve never seen a Lifetime movie consider yourself blessed), went to church together, cooked for each other, and helped with necessary but frustrating tasks like packing baby clothes and cleaning rooms before moving out. I also had the opportunity to tutor one of the moms in math, which I loved. She is such a smart woman and hardworking student, and I had a lot of fun learning to teach. I drove this same mom back and forth to the hospital every day for a week while her newborn son was in the Neonatal ICU, and was amazed by her strength and love for her child as she fought to keep him with her. I was constantly surprised and impressed by the moms. Throughout the summer, there were times where I envied people from school who were spending their days with their own friends from home. At first, I felt like I was missing out on friendship while working my SSLP. But then it occurred to me that instead of hanging out with other teenagers, I had become friends with the women I served. While they are older than I am and we don’t have a ton in common and they won’t be back on campus with me in a month, I wouldn’t trade the time I spent with them for anything. It’s a different kind of friendship, but I’ve learned so much from these women and grown to admire them with every fiber of my being. Each woman is so different and amazing, and yes, sometimes personalities do clash, but there’s a reason the moms call each other “Casa Sisters”: the unconditional support, willingness to listen and help, and unique understanding they have of each other (where else do a dozen pregnant women get to live together and compare stories, complain about being kicked, and get each other’s advice and extra baby clothes?) make the residents of Casa Teresa a tight-knit family. For some of the women, it’s probably the first happy, healthy family they’ve been a part of, which I think is a wonderful experience for everyone involved. If I had to choose one word to describe my emotional status as I end my time here, I think it would be “honored.” I’m honored that the staff trusted me enough to give me important tasks and let me be responsible for the women, and I’m even more honored that the moms allowed me to befriend them, shared their struggles and joy with me, and trusted me with their stories. I know it wasn’t always easy for them to talk to me, because some of them have really suffered, but it was very eye-opening for me. Every woman I’ve met here has left an impression. I have never met such self-aware people; each mom understands what she needs to work on and is determined to prepare herself and feel healthy and capable of taking care of her child. Even for someone far from motherhood myself, it’s really inspiring. Their selflessness, resourcefulness, and willingness to both learn from and help each other is amazing, and I can say with certainty that they’re all going to be fantastic moms. Every woman I met here has a complicated past and an uncertain future, but also so much determination and intelligence, passion and perseverance, kindness, outgoingness, and hope. There’s so much more to learn and love, and I’m sad that I can’t stay longer to continue getting to know them. I came to Casa Teresa determined to pour all my energy into serving these women and do whatever needed to be done, and while the work was not always exactly what I had expected, I am happy knowing that all of it goes towards the program that is serving these women so well. Casa Teresa offers housing, incredibly valuable classes, and all of the baby supplies one could ever need, and this enables the moms to gain independence and feel prepared for the beautiful life change they are about to experience. Without this program, I know that a lot of these women would be unable to provide for their babies as well as they will now, and I am so grateful to have been a part of making all of this possible. |
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