Viridiana: Building a Hopeful Life

When Viridiana came to Hope Builders, she had been knocked down multiple times. “I was unable to support my family and pay my bills. I had no idea what to do.”

The oldest child of four, Viridiana grew up in Garden Grove. Her mother and father both worked long hours in retail to provide for the family, although often this wasn’t enough.

Viridiana lived with her family in a cramped one-bedroom apartment. Her parents depended on food stamps to make sure everyone was fed. When she finished high school, college was out of the question. It was too expensive. Viridiana felt it was best to work and support the family, even at minimum wage.

For the next few years, Viridiana worked as a church receptionist, and then in a retail store until she had her first child. When she returned from maternity leave, the store cut her pay.

“I decided to be a stay-at-home Mom, but it was hard. I felt so depressed and unproductive.”

Viridiana wanted to return to work but the cost of childcare was too much. She had a second child and at this point, all three of them, her boyfriend, and her siblings were still living with her parents. This was not an ideal situation for her or her children.

Viridiana’s life changed when she heard about Hope Builders from a friend. The promise of the program helped Viridiana see a life outside of this cycle. She was tired of being poor, tired of just getting by. She enrolled in the Clinical Medical Assisting program.

“I love the support system Hope Builders offers, especially the childcare vouchers. I probably wouldn’t be here without them.” Viridiana is currently completing her medical assisting internship at a Garden Grove clinic, where she is exercising her training in vital signs, dosage calculations, and injections.

Viridiana wants to land a full-time job as a Medical Assistant once she completes the program. With her earnings, she hopes to find housing more suitable for her growing family.

Without Hope Builders, Viridiana could not imagine moving forward in her life. But, now she has so much hope.