Have you ever wondered how individual acts of kindness can add up to make a big difference?

It is a question that resonates deeply with our team here at MdC. We see firsthand that every gesture of compassion contributes to a much larger movement of change. Our families experience firsthand the power of the support they receive –– we have witnessed families growing closer, children learning, lives improving, and hope restored. With every month that passes, we see how your giving transforms lives.

During this time of year –– as the holidays approach, and often a time of reflection and giving –– we ask, would you consider supporting MdC as a monthly donor? When you give monthly, you are providing a consistent and reliable source of support that allows us to plan and implement long-term programs, ensuring that our families have the resources they need to thrive.

Stories of Need And Impact

As staffing needs arise at MdC, we first look within the community to fill any openings. This past week, we had an opening in the kitchen, and we interviewed three women for the job. As they shared their personal stories and why they wanted the job, we were reminded once again of the challenges the women in our community face and why your support is essential.

We wish we could have hired all three women –– given their needs were so great, –– but we hired Felicia because she was able to do the job, and her employment would have the greatest impact on her family.

Felicia

Felicia and her family left Oaxaca and came to the border just a few months ago in search of a better life. She immediately found MdC and enrolled in our programs. Just weeks after arriving, Felicia’s husband left her, and as a result, she is struggling both financially and emotionally. She is in desperate need of a job to care for herself and her children since her living situation is unsafe for her and her children. They are living in a shared space with many people that she does not know, and she often needs to leave her children alone (ages 4, 9, and 11). They also share a bathroom, which is outside for everyone to use.

Felicia has limited options for work because her highest level of education is primary school, and her only experience has been as a field worker since she was 11 years old. Because Felicia is now alone with young children, continuing to work in the fields would require her to leave early in the morning and return late in the afternoon. This would require her to leave her children with her 11-year-old son in charge.

Felicia wants to work at MdC so she can earn a living and not have to leave her children. MdC provides staff childcare and a ride for children who need transportation to school. In the interview, Felicia explained that she will do whatever it takes so she can feed her children. Although she does not have a lot of experience working in a kitchen, she is a hard worker and is willing to learn.

Toribia

Toribia and her children are enrolled in MdC’s programs. She moved to the border from Oaxaca less than seven years ago in search of better educational and work opportunities. Life has been very hard for her, and she faces many challenges. She explained how lonely it is to be away from her family. She also said that communicating with her family is a struggle because they live on a remote ranch in Oaxaca and do not have any electricity or Wi-Fi.

She has a partner, but he works long hours in the lettuce fields which leaves her feeling more isolated and longing for her family. She attends church on both Saturdays and Sundays, and she has been an active participant in MdC programs, which has helped her to feel more connected. Her aspirations include completing the construction of her home and learning how to do nails, but she has no way to care for her children if she works. Her family does not earn enough to meet all of their needs.

Raquel

Raquel –– a devoted mother who was born locally –– shares the responsibility of caring for her five children. She is married, and her husband is a taxi driver. They lack insurance to pay for their health care and medicines, and he does not earn enough money to meet their needs. Raquel was employed at a factory, but it required her to be away for long hours from her children. One of her sons battles epilepsy and ADHD, and she needs to earn extra money to provide the necessary medication for her son. It is not uncommon for him to skip taking his medicine because there is just not enough money to refill his prescription. That has had a negative impact on his education, and at 11 years old, he is not able to read, write, or do basic math. Her son is enrolled in MdC’s education program, and we have been working to improve his skills. He loves being in our programs, and we are working with the public school system to fill his learning gaps. Unfortunately, students with special needs don’t have many resources in the public school, so MdC is his only hope to advance his education.

For Raquel, any job opportunity she can find is a chance to provide for her family and secure the necessary medication for her son. In addition to her son, two of Raquel’s other children are enrolled in our education program, and she works on the side making embroidery for our work program.