“I did not know anything about homelessness until I became homeless myself.”
Giving Back, After Being Given
So begins the story of Maggie Guzman,* a first-generation immigrant who arrived in the United States with her mother and three siblings. Bright, witty, and full of dreams, she worked hard to carve out a career in the IT and pharmaceutical industries, as well as to start a fitness and coaching business.
To anyone who knew her, she exemplified the American dream. That is until her world fell apart in 2020.
Following a lapse in judgment, for the first time, Maggie found herself unemployed, with a criminal record, and without proof of her legal status in a country that had been her home for 46 years With nothing left to her name other than a bag of clothes, Maggie entered the doors of Interfaith Works’ (IW) Women’s Center.
“It was a very dark time. I was mentally drained. Physically exhausted. Financially destroyed.”
In the midst of her suffering, Ruth Vargas, an IW case manager, was assigned to her case.
“After a very long time, I was suddenly seen and heard,” Maggie said. “I was treated with respect. I was given the space to process my grief and shock, to understand what choices led me to where I was, and to work on the steps needed to move forward.”
Ruth helped Maggie access counseling care and government resources to secure proof of her green card status. Ruth also connected her to a vocational counselor from IW’s Vocational Services Program, while other IW staff provided additional support.
“IW walked the journey with me,” Maggie relayed. “Case workers gave me career advice and helped me through the re-application of my green card. Supriya Mordecai prayed with me through my worst moments and Samantha Cheakalos was my biggest cheerleader. She always had a ready smile and encouraged me not to not give up.”
Maggie’s road was not easy. The pandemic delayed the processing of her green card and her job applications were rejected. The few companies that offered employment were interim at best. These left Maggie with not enough means to resume an independent life.
As she grew stronger, she made it her mission to give back. Maggie helped keep the IW Women’s Center clean, volunteered for group activities, and buoyed the spirits of those who were living with depression and drug addiction, while working on herself to get her life on track.
Throughout all of these challenges, the IW team continued to work alongside Maggie.
“IW invested their time in me,” she remembered in gratitude. “There was empathy and understanding for me and others in the center. They helped me keep positive.”
Maggie explained that IW’s faith and trust fortified her sense of purpose to stand up again and again, despite repeated setbacks.
And with perseverance, it came. In March 2022, Maggie got a job with a commercial real estate company, where she was promoted to a full-time position in three months. She now rents a small bedroom decorated with photos of people she holds dear to her heart. In time—after saving enough—she plans to purchase a second-hand vehicle to make her commute more accessible.
“Each day, I keep working to be a better person, worker, and member of society. I am giving back in any way I can because at one point in my life, I was blessed by others.”
Today, Maggie continues to stay in touch with IW.
“Ruth and the others at IW are my family. They carried me for two and a half years, so I could heal and find myself. I am forever grateful for the strength they gave me to get my life again.”
With IW support, Maggie was able to regain her strength to chart her own path towards stability. Please help us continue our personalized service so many more of our neighbors can rebuild their lives like Maggie.
*IW respects and protects the privacy of its clients. Maggie Guzman is a pseudonym.