We're collecting personal stories for our website-here's mine.
When I first entered La Casa Hogar, I felt a sense of community and family that I desired to be a part of. Perhaps, I was trying to replace the lost feeling of community I had experienced with college friends. Maybe I was just another lost college graduate trying to find her way, but something about La Casa Hogar felt intuitively right to me. While my motivations were not completely clear to me, I signed-up to be an Americorps *VISTA at La Casa Hogar for a year.
The first question I faced was how would I fit in? How could the barriers between language, culture, and age be bridged? I was uncertain how the women would react to me joining their organization, and I was terrified to use my limited Spanish. I learned that using simple phrases like ¡Buenos Dias! could draw a favorable response, and I realized that I would not be laughed at when I made mistakes. Gradually, the women of La Casa Hogar and I gained mutual understanding by realizing how difficult it is to learn another language. My fears of speaking Spanish melted away when my words were received with a smile that could melt my heart on even the worst of days.
I soon found that my new friends and I had two powerful things in common. We were all women, and we all experienced a desire for learning and self-improvement. It is difficult to describe the special bond that exists in an organization comprised solely of women. It created an atmosphere of sincerity, honesty, and compassion like none other I had experienced before. I also learned that a yearning for education can provide hope and promise in even the most adverse of circumstances.
I was privileged to be in charge of organizing the GED class for the women of La Casa Hogar. I was thrilled to witness the buzz of excitement that filled the small classroom when the women spoke of obtaining their GED’s. Although cautious and timid at first, they began to share with me their goals and dreams for the future. I was inspired by the glimmer of possibility I saw in their eyes, and I gained a better understanding of the motivation for the journey that led them to La Casa Hogar.
When I took this job, I was ambitious to make a difference. I wanted to help everyone and make a big impact on the organization. I soon learned that my new friends had everything they needed inside them. My definition of what constituted a strong woman was changed as I witnessed strong women playing a variety of roles all around me. The women of La Casa Hogar’s kindness, openness, and gentleness will always remain in a special place in my heart.
Posted by Amanda Lasik at June 8, 2005 02:24 PM