Claudia's Story: “My greatest accomplishment is supporting other women”
Claudia Vázquez is a 52-year-old small businesswoman from Mexico, who had to reinvent her life’s vision to make ends meet with her mother Doña Celina Centeno. Through that, she is now providing employment to other older women who have missed out on jobs due to age discrimination.
Since she arrived in Chicago in 1995, Claudia's life has been marked by many challenges, from adapting to a new culture that led to depression for a few months, to the death of her father in 2010.
“Before my father died, I already didn’t have a stable job. Staffing agencies only called me in to work two or three days a week. During his sickness, I was driving him to his dialysis appointment to the hospital. I increasingly saw the importance of being a financial support to my mom. That's when I started looking for more work outside of the factories,” recalls Claudia.
Motivations and Challenges
When her father died, Claudia noticed that Doña Celina (her mother) was having a hard time finding a job due to her age. She eventually found an opportunity at New Life Centers in Little Village. Both mother and daughter took care of the cleaning at the Little Village building. Since then, they have remained together not only at work but also in ministry.
Claudia soon after began to strategize how to self-employ herself and her mother, Doña Celina. In 2013, what began as a dream became a reality. Claudia started her own company under the name “Dulce Corazón Decorations”. They began providing decoration services for events as they continued their cleaning services at New Life Centers. “I feel that it has been God who has given us purpose to continue here,” Claudia tells us.
Initially, Claudia was fearful of venturing out into the business, but her mother was the driving force that encouraged her not to give up and embark on this adventure. “If you are afraid, fear will paralyze you, and you will never know how far you can go if you don't experience on your own whether things w
A few months after starting her company, Claudia began to learn about important regulations and procedures for LLC companies. This helped her make proper use of her finances and with personnel management. “When I opened the company, I understood that I had to keep accounting in order. I was recommended to pay taxes every quarter of the year so as not to accumulate a high amount at the end of the year and avoid financial penalties. I also learned the legal aspects of business administration,” says Claudia.
The Faces Behind the Work
Years went by and Claudia was motivated to grow her business, both cleaning and event decorations. In 2020 there was enough demand to start employing more people. During that time, she met Mrs. Josefina, who was going through a difficult situation, so she decided to offer her a job opportunity to support her. Josefina had recently arrived from Mexico as a refugee fleeing violence. “I remember seeing Josefina crying in the park because she didn't have a job and had just arrived. It moved my heart to see her in that situation. Since we were already starting to have more events, I told her, “I’ll offer you a job. There isn't much else I can do for you.” She adapted very well to the job.”
As the demand for events increased even more, Claudia sought to look for more staff. That was when Mrs. Lucy joined. Her story had such an impact on her that she decided to offer her a job. “One of the stories that have captivated me the most from the ladies who work with me was Lucy’s. Her husband suffered an accident at work and unfortunately can no longer work due to the injury. Most of the home expenses and maintenance fell on her”, noted Claudia. Having supported Lucy with this job fills Claudia’s heart as she greatly values what Lucy does for her family.
A similar situation happened with Mrs. Mary, whom Claudia met during a Pan de Vida food pantry delivery. “I remember meeting Mary right when she had lost her husband. She was depressed and crying. My mom told me about her, so I invited her to come work at New Life Centers. I noticed she was really looking forward to work. She is now self-sufficient, earning her own money, and does not have to depend only on what her adult children can give her.”
Claudia adds that her story has helped her be a sensitive person towards the others needs. “Those things impact me and motivate me to continue fighting and help keep these ladies at work. I know that any effort is worth it.”
The most recent addition to the work team was Claudia’s brother, who also suffered injuries in his previous job, leaving him unable to lift heavy objects. “I remember my brother was very depressed and through tears, he asked me if I could give him a job opportunity. Of course I agreed,”Claudia tells us.
Future Goals
Claudia now has a total of 6 staff members. Her goal for the next two years is to grow all three areas of her business: decorations, events and cleaning services. “My goal is to grow my team and improve payment processes for employees. I would also want other companies to realize that we should consider older people for jobs. We shouldn’t discriminate or reject them,” Claudia said.
Claudia wants to continue supporting other people in vulnerable situations because she is convinced that God has a purpose in her life through this.
Volunteering at Pan de Vida Food Pantry
In addition to supporting New Life Centers with cleaning and organizing events with other clients, Claudia has been a volunteer at the “Pan de Vida” food pantry for 13 years. Her time there has a significant impact. A few days a the week Claudia picks up donations from companies for the pantry and she helps distribute to clients.
A Message of Hope
Claudia encourages other people to start their own businesses and move forward despite the challenges. “My hope is that people always know there is a God who is taking care of us and blessing us. If you dream about starting a business, do not be afraid to innovate and try it. Otherwise, your fear will never take you far and will keep you paralyzed. Keep going because God always goes with you”, explained Claudia.
Back to School Fair at Farragut Career Academy
More than 850 people enjoyed free food, haircuts, children's games, outdoor sports, pony rides, and raffles. Families with school-age children and youth also received backpacks and supplies.
Different sports activities were carried out simultaneously, such as
We are grateful for Farragut Career Academy for opening their doors and partnering with us to bring joy and healthy fun to the families. Once again, we are convinced that when local neighbors, non-profit organizations, churches, and schools come together, we can bring unity for a better world. Special thanks to the staff, volunteers, teachers, and administrators who helped make this event a success.
GEMS Program: Empowering Girls for Life
GEMS (Girls Empowering Meaningful Stories) is a New Life Centers mentoring program with a team of three mentors. Over ten young women come together weekly to support and empower each other.
The GEMS program was established 5 years ago with a small group of high school girls who met in Little Village for mentoring and support groups. The program mentors have been challenging them to achieve goals they have set for themselves.
Each year, both participants and mentors commit to attend sessions twice a week. Some of the topics that are addressed with participants are interpersonal communication, self-esteem and acceptance, solidarity, among other topics that help them heal pain, overcome difficulties, and find strength. G.E.M.S. is a safe space for girls to express their opinions, emotions and receive guidance on topics that may be difficult for them to discuss with their parents.
One of these young participants is 17-year-old Litzy Ortiz, who is currently in 12th grade. Her participation in the G.E.M.S. program has taught her many lessons and has motivated her to change many things in her life.
"I was invited to come to the GEMS program by our mentor Jazmin. I was at that time a participant at La Semilla after-school program, and we needed to use th
Having a team of mentors has allowed me to see the world from a different perspective. I have learned to support other young people with what I have learned from our mentors. I have also learned to love the community more and have strengthened my relationship with God.
My participation in this program has helped me conquer previous fears. I used to tell myself that I could not overcome this or that, and now thanks to the program and the mentors, I can say that I have overcome them.
Being part of GEMS has strengthened my ability to speak up for myself. This is something I didn't do before. It has helped me do it at home with my family. I’ve also created a closer bond with my family.
I am currently a senior in high school, and I am interested in going to college. I want to study something related to business or be a lawyer and help other people. For now, I am focused on continuing my process and working with other young women.
My advice to other young people is to learn to be themselves, to seek help from others they trust, and to accept support when they feel they are in trouble. I am very thankful first to God and then to the GEMS program for allowing me to grow and mature in this phase of my life", tell us Litzy Ortíz.
The GEMS program facilitates conversations, involves girls in community service activities, and promotes teamwork. With the we can foster their personal growth, enhance their skills, and empower them to become agents of change for other young women with whom they interact.
Another of our young women participating in the program is Aurora Oviedo, 16 years old and a tenth grader. Aurora came to the GEMS Program four years ago and has been a part of New Life Centers' programs since she was a child. One of these programs is La Semilla.
"I came to GEMS before the pandemic in 2019. Since my first day, there was a very strong connection with my me
Starting high school was one of the biggest fears I learned to overcome while being part of this program. I was the only one of my former classmates in that high school and I was faced with many challenges and fears. I was afraid to make new friends, and the GEMS girls and mentors gave me the support and self-confidence to learn to be outgoing and less shy. Since then, I have made a great group of friends, and I owe a lot of that to my mentors Jazmin and Ariana.
This program focuses on empowering women for life. Now that I have learned some skills over time, I feel like I can encourage other girls to be confident and outgoing and to not be afraid to take risks and enjoy life in a healthy way. You only live once.
I am very grateful for my mentors and the other friends at GEMS, because in this place I have found myself. My advice is to not hide under a personality that limits you to grow and fighting to be who you want to be. Love yourself. That's the most important thing. You can't love anyone else if you don't love yourself first, concluded Aurora.
“Since the implementation of the program, GEMS has contributed to the community, to the empowerment of more than twenty young women from neighborhoods near La Villita. Some of these women have graduated from the program and participate in other spaces supporting other women. Other girls are now part of our network of mentors in the program,” says Jazmin Torres, Director of Arise Creations/GEMS Program.
GEMS intends to continue pouring into other young women and increase the number of participants in the future. The hope is to promote a more just and equitable world where participants can develop their full potential in different areas of life. “We want to encourage them in different topics such as mentoring, leadership, personal discipline, solidarity, empathy, community contribution, economic autonomy, educational training, and other topics that allow them to grow as women,” adds Jazmín.
New Life Centers will always be committed to the well-being of the young women who participate in our programs. That is the reason why we will continue to promote the connections between GEMS participants that are critical to the healthy development of young women as they become the empowered women, we want them to be.
An Unforgettable Summer for Little Village Shelter Residents
Over the summer, we held a seven-week camp 40 youths currently residing in our state-run migrant shelter in Little Village. The camp offered various activities to provide a comprehensive and immersive learning experience. The focus was on education, community integration, and strengthening families.
Participants took English classes, technology classes and went on a total of eight field trips. We also offered literature,
math, and specialized activities such as basketball training and mural painting.
For Niurka, a 13-year-old Venezuelan girl, the English classes sparked an interest to learn the language further. “During these last few weeks we were doing many activities, but the one I loved the most was learning English,” Niurka tells us.
Our main goal for the camp was to help the youth feel confident in their abilities and inspire them to envision a bright future as they entered the new school year.
Rihaner is a fifteen-year-old boy who arrived to the city with his family about a month ago. The counseling classes he was a part of were the most motivating for him. “I liked the classes that taught us about respecting people. I learned not to judge others and to have discipline in my schedule. I am in my second year of high school, and I know these lessons will be useful in the coming years,” said Rihaner.
Furthermore, we provided a unique opportunity for the campers to interact with health, education, and marketing professionals to fuel their career dreams. The camp's success was made possible thanks to the support of Enlace Chicago, Grace Christian Academy, and the dedicated staff at New Life Centers.
A Great Story of Overcoming: From Runner to Mentor
Giovanni began his involvement in the New Life Centers sports disciplines in 2015. After six years as a participant, he became a sports instructor for the La Semilla program in 2021, to later escalate in 2023, as a sports mentor in the different sports disciplines we promote, including Running Forward, soccer, and volleyball. He never imagined what came five years later, when one of his mentors offered him the chance to be a sports mentor in the Running Forward program.
Running Forward is a space where a group of young men and women strive to achieve their goals both inside and outside of running. With more than 60 youth participants and 30 returning runners, this group meets twice a week to run 2 to 7 miles each time. As they acquire endurance skills, they set individual goals to reach their full potential as athletes.
His Beginnings at Running Forward
Geovanni’s life began to change once he joined our Running Forward program. “This program from the beginning attracted many young people from nearby neighborhoods, some of them came with problems at home and found physical and mental comfort in sports due to the discipline it requires. These youth are now recognized as leaders in the community and have earned respect,” Giovanni tells us.
Giovanni remembers that one of the things that impacted him the most on his first day as a Running Forward participant was a gift that the director, Epifanio Díaz, gave to the group of runners. “He gave us sneakers, and it was something new to me that a coach would give you shoes and let you keep them. It was something very shocking to me,” Giovanni points out.
His Contribution to the Program as a Mentor
Giovanni addresses challenges and obstacles participants must overcome, the importance of maintaining their discipline as athletes, and reminding them not to lose the goals proposed to achieve greater success in the sport.
During the weekly sessions, participants have the opportunity to have conversations about their personal growth goals, receive support when making decisions and help them learn how to reduce stress when facing problems. “We have a team that understands the situations young people go through, which creates a safe space for youth to grow and accomplish goals,” adds Giovanni.
Giovanni adds that mentoring sessions involve life lessons, conflict resolution, and discipline as a mechanism to build personality. “Being the coach for this program has taught me to relate to young people and learn from their experiences. Every time we meet, my advice is to maintain discipline, if they really wish to stay active in sports and overcome obstacles,” Giovanni tells us.
Everyone is Welcome to the Program
Empowering the next generation is essential for a more just society with less violence. Through the sports program, we offer families a positive structure and growth opportunities that impact better education and development of young people. "We are open to receiving any young person who wants to participate. We encourage them to visit us and learn about the programs we have. Practic
Giovanni highlights that “the program handles all types of situations with young people who find themselves in difficult situations, we contact the necessary people to help them and establish commitments with them so that they meet their goals.”
His Advice to other Young People
“When the young person arrives here, my advice is that they do not paralyze themselves, because we all start from the bottom. I am always motivating them to go for their goals and acquire leadership skills, which are two of the things that will help them grow daily as they go into adulthood,” says Giovanni.
Giovanni concludes that “at New Life Centers we have established a competitive methodology, where no young person should feel pressured, but rather, they should feel motivated without exceeding their limits, since in the end, they are the ones who establish their expectations, and we only help them during the whole process.”
Running Forward Participants
Arise Creations: An Opportunity for Entrepreneurship
Arise Creations is more than a handmade jewelry program at New Life Centers. It is a creative small business driven by young and dynamic women. The purpose is to empower girls in grades 6-12 in the Humboldt Park and Little Village neighborhoods.
Since 2016, Arise Creations has been promoting creativity, empowerment, and the spirit of entrepreneurship and enrichment to young women. The methodology of this program is based on the creativity of designs inspired by biblical principles, which contribute to self-improvement, leadership skills, business knowledge, and spiritual growth.
Every week around 10 young women and instructors meet to make designs and shape pieces of jewelry to create bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. We interviewed some participants to highlight their main achievements during their time in this program.
Shanyce Johnson has been a participant for six years and is now a 12th-grade student; she learned about the program through her sister, who had also participated before. “This program met my expectations from the beginning. My sister used to come when she was my age and it was something that intrigued me. I am satisfied with the results so far,” said Shanyce.
For Shanyce, one of the most significant things at Arise Creations has been developing emotional connections with participants and the instructors. This has created a culture where the group looks after each other's needs. “We have a very passionate team that enjoys what they do and are always looking out for the well-being of each one of us,” she tells us very enthusiastically.
Shanyce concludes the program has contributed to her social development in the last six years. “This program has taught me to be a very receptive person when it comes to listening. Here, I learned to be an open person with others, to understand that we are all different and bring differing points of view. I learned about the experiences of other people, which today are my motivation,” Shanyce pointed out.
Saraí Pineda is another Arise Creations program participant and eighth-grade student. This initiative has given her a new vision for the future. “I started at Arise a year ago and over time I have become aware of the importance of earning my own money through selling,” Saraí tells us.
Although Saraí’s first days making jewelry didn’t feel very productive, she focused on continuing to try until she was able to finish the fine pieces. “I remember that one of my greatest achievements in this program was when I created my first piece called Urban Hope. That day I was very excited because it had taken me time to learn. When I was beginning, I felt lost,” Saraí recalls.
Despite her frustration, Saraí did not give up and kept in mind the advice she received from her instructors to not let herself be defeated. “The instructors have been influential in my growth within the program. They teach us to overcome fear, control our nerves, step out of our comfort zone, and persevere,” concludes Sarai.
Valeria is a 16-year-old participant in the 11th-grade. She learned about the Arise Creations program through a flyer her mother got as she waited in line at our food pantry in Humboldt Park. “I said to myself, oh, making jewelry sounds interesting. That's when I came to ask for information, and I was able to sign up to do what I do today with a lot of passion,” Valeria tells us.
Participating in this
Saraí’s greatest satisfaction is when she sees the products she created exhibited in stores. “It feels exciting to have our jewelry reach large stores, businesses, and cafes, and be able to see the work displayed there. Without a doubt, it feels so good, and I can only be thankful for being part of this great work,” she concludes.
An additional value the program offers participants is the spiritual enrichment and business skills they acquire to open doors as future businesswomen, participating in fairs with suppliers, conferences, and other events that contribute to their profit.
For the future, the Arise Creations program hopes to expand products to a network of distributors to market what participants make, partner with other commercial establishments, and increase the number of women participating in the program as it enables economic independence.
Education Plan for New Vecinos Will Have a Positive Impact on Their Lives
All families need help when life gets tough, and migrant families new to Chicago (New Vecinos) constantly face additional challenges that make them a more vulnerable group. At New Life Centers we are aware that this process of social and cultural adaptation in families can only be achieved with the proper guidance.
Faced with this need, we recently submitted an Educational Strategic Plan proposal to the Illinois Department of Human Services, intended to be implemented in shelters where our new neighbors live. This plan was desi
This Educational Strategic Plan was designed by a team of staff that currently work for New Life Centers and has extensive experience in education. Most of them are people who have arrived from Venezuela and are now giving back by using their expertise to support and set these families up for success.
“The methodological resources with which this Educational Plan was designed will have a positive impact on the newly arrived families. This tool will guide them on key issues ranging from how to find a job, proper use of technology, problem-solving, guidance on the scheme of laws that they must comply with, as well as strengthening skills in their lives to achieve the goals they have set for themselves,” concluded Américo Marcano, a Venezuelan national and Centers staff who supported the development of this plan.
At New Life Centers, our hope is for our new neighbors to embrace change and overcome current and future challenges while allowing us to continue supporting and loving them.
The Vine Program: A place to dream and share emotions
There is a place where children feel safe and can have fun sharing their biggest dreams, joys, and emotions with other children in the neighborhood. We find this space at a New Life Centers building, in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, where more than 120 children and young people who participate in our The Vine program come every week. “This is a beautiful program, because, in addition to the children's academic reinforcement after school, we also promote the values of love for one's neighbor, how to take care of one's community, and above all the values of faith,” says Berenice Santos, instructor of The Vine program for 6th to 8th graders.
The Vine began in mid-2006 as there was a need to serve children during their free time in the summer and after school. Since the launch of this program, each summer we have served more than one hundred children and young people from grades K-8th, promoting educational, recreational, and pre-work training activities year-round.
This year, The Vine has focused on serving even more families, sharing spaces and strengthening ties between parents and children through festivals, block parties, excursions, camping days, among other recreational activities that contribute to the physical and emotional well-being of the participants.
This summer’s main achievements are more involvement of parents in their children's activities, young people attending our sister church Sunday services and bible studies, and an increase in activities outside our building so that children and young people can discover more emblematic places of the city.
“We have managed to get many of our students to come to church and learn more about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus, families have found in us a space to express their concerns and to find answers. We have increased support for young people in a job training program to give them a sense of ownership over their decisions,” said Jessica Quigley, director if The Vine.
The success of The Vine program lies in its educational design since it combines an educational methodology based on love, respect, and understanding with the best pedagogical practices of its instructors and volunteers. Participants receive healthy snacks, access to technology, recreational activities, Bible studies, and homework help.
For Alisha, a 4th-grade girl participant, The Vine has helped her get to know other places and meet new friends. “I like when we go to other places outside the classroom because I can have fun with my new friends, and we play until we're tired,” Alisha tells us, very happy and with a smile on her face.
For information about this program, please reach out to Jessica Quigley.
E-mail: jessicaq@newlifecenters.org/ Location: 3908 W. Hirsch St, Chicago IL, 60651
“I Want to Make it to the NBA”
Elijah tells us that he joined the New Life Centers league two years ago, and it has been a valuable experience. “Since I joined the basketball program, I feel like something has changed in my life because I see it as something very special. This sport opens the door to other sports, have healthy fun, have a good time with your friends, and keep yourself busy with something.”
For Elijah, the opportunity to practice this sport not only allows him to have fun and have a good time with his friends but also helps him set goals for the future, “My goal is to one day play in the NBA because I love basketball, and I enjoy it a lot as if it were a part of me.”
He admits that promoting these sports leagues brings many benefits to the community. It promotes peace in the community to reduce violence. “All of us who play this sport know that it is a healthy way to have fun and that it brings peace of mind to the community, we are all together and play in peace.”
He hopes to continue playing to improve his skills as he gains experience. “My family supports my decisions and from my perspective, parents love bringing their children to play and have fun here, so that means it's a good thing.”
Elijah recently graduated from eighth grade and hopes to play basketball in high school when he starts at the Chicago Bulls College Prep in the fall.
Amy L Williams: “We Seek a World with More Compassion for Others"
With three decades of experience in restorative justice and juvenile detention work, Amy shares her life experience of ministering and working with gang-involved youth, on probation or incarcerated. She bears a conciliatory message that reduces the gaps of marginalization or social exclusion.
“Amy has written an inspiring, practical, and must-read book for anyone working with youth or marginalized people. Her stories and experiences provide valuable information and insights to connect with and love others as Christ sees them,” commented one participant.
Amy graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is currently the Illinois Youth Center (IYC) Project Coordinator at New Life Centers. She coordinates restorative justice programming in the youth correctional centers in St. Charles, Warrenville, and Chicago.