As the child of immigrants, I have always felt that I was not meant to fit in here in the States. When my parents would take me with them to visit their homes in Mexico, I felt I did not belong there either. This feeling of not being able to call either country my home has followed me to this day. As I matured and became an adult, I pushed this feeling to the back of my mind as I felt there were more important things to worry about than my cultural identity. I now had responsibilities and people who depend on me. In the midst of the pandemic, the country shut down, for the greater good. I, among so many other people, was left with the feeling of uncertainty as I was not sure how I would make ends meet.
My partner and I were unemployed. Although employment opportunities dwindled, we still had to pay the bills. Our landlord was not able to give us a break and we were racking our brains trying to figure out how we would cover our expenses. After months filled with the inescapable feeling of loneliness, I remembered that feeling of not fitting in. My home no longer felt like a home, it felt like a burden. The place that is meant to bring me peace at the end of each day became another thing that I had to worry about, another thing to keep me up at night worrying.
Then, thanks to my employer, I was able to get into contact with Prospera and I learned about the Latina Entrepreneur Resiliency Fund. This fund, created for the community by active members in the community allowed me to get back on my feet and gave me an opportunity to share and talk about my experiences while also hearing that of others.
During a time where social interaction had to be halted, this community made sure I did not feel alone. I participated in various Zoom Conference events and was delighted to be part of a community of strong ambitious women, I felt that I fit right in and was finally able to feel accepted and be part of a community with women who look and speak like me and even share some of the same experiences. Connecting with this group of women and being able to benefit from the resources they offer has been the best part of my year.
I hope that with enough donors, Prospera and the Latina Entrepreneur Resiliency Fund are able to offer the same, if not more, wonderful experiences to more people like me.
Denisse Cardona
Operations Manager
Professional Eco-Cleaning
Partner with Prospera to help us reach our goal
of $20,000 before December 31, 2020.
The Latina Entrepreneur Resiliency Fund helps entrepreneurs cover the basic needs that have been compromised as a result of COVID-19, and adapt their businesses to this new era so that they can emerge from it stronger and wiser.
We are resilient and we need each other.
Please, help us achieve our goal of supporting Latina immigrant entrepreneurs during these challenging times.
Donate, get your family and friends involved, or help spread the word.
Every contribution counts and can make a huge impact on our community.