Heroes2020
Engaging & Educating Through Covid-19 By Jessica Cliche, Director of Community Education and Engagement Unconventional circumstances could become catalysts for exploration, innovations, adaptations as we prototype ourselves toward our future selves. – Manuel Ugarte I’m sure we all can agree with the previous quote regarding the jobs we have and what we do. We all had to be adaptive and innovative for people going through extreme situations. Back in March, during my last Cafecito Entre Nosotras gathering at Orchard Knob Elementary, I remember the emotion vividly when I was notified about the first Covid cases in Chattanooga and feeling fearful for all. Life was about to change; I knew that much. The reality is that no one can be ready because things are new, and we know that in times of stress and uncertainty, the underserved communities take a big hit. We worked hard to communicate with our families without creating panic but trying to keep them informed. My job at La Paz has always been to create programs
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based on the needs of the community and to stay in close contact with them. My passion is empowering Latina females through education. That is why I created Cafecito Entre Nosotras, to offer a safe space to share, celebrate, and support each other. The past months have proved to be challenging in many ways. The reality is that fear has been a big trigger, and we had to find a way to create programs that will motivate and help women thrive. Online sessions were created to keep in touch with each other since isolation brought up issues that needed attention. Even though the in-person conversations over coffee had to be postponed, the virtual sessions continue to address topics such as mental health, finances, and stress reduction activities such as nature walks with family members. Over the past months, I’ve seen men and women extend a hand to those in need, people open up about depression, anxiety, and fear, and I have cried and laughed with them. I have seen the best and the worst, but the most important thing is that we, as a Community, kept going and searching and fighting, for ourselves, for our families, and for our community. This year
has been such a humbling time for all of us, but it has allowed us to slow down, think, create and appreciate the hugs and the closeness that we didn’t know we would miss someday. Every single day, we continue to be resilient, we continue to hope, and we continue to work hard. To paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson - we acquire strength from the hardships we have overcome. H20
