Building Bridges: Patricia’s Story of Connection, Community, and Motherhood
When you first meet Patricia, you are struck by her introspection and gift with words. Sitting down with her, she is put together and composed. Her gentle manner and warm smile put the room at ease. But when she begins to recount her story, her teary eyes signal just how far she has come on her journey.
Patricia moved to Napa in December of 2019, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the world, forcing everyone to bunker down at home. It was an isolating time, and just a year into the pandemic, Patricia welcomed her first child, Paula. Due to the COVID shutdowns and living in a new city, Patricia found herself struggling as a new mom with few social connections and little support.
It was during an appointment at OLE Health that Patricia was referred to Cope for the support she needed. After reaching out, she began her journey in Cope’s Parents as Teachers Home Visiting Program. Patricia first connected with Maria, Cope’s Program Director who was working as Family Support Specialist at the time.
She tearfully recounts the first time the two met, and how Maria told her that she would be her friend and help her through these difficult times. “Maria represented to me a Latina who was able to go to college and be successful. It helped me see what my daughter could accomplish when she grows up.”
Patricia later began working with her Family Support Specialist Anahi, who she felt a special connection with. Patricia was still struggling with feelings of isolation, as she didn’t have family support the way she did in Mexico, but Anahi quickly became a trusted person she could come to for support. Anahi provided the space for Patricia to talk about her family’s health problems and her difficult emotions around it, and Anahi was able to refer her to additional resources and support.
Because building a community for herself and her daughter was important to her, Patricia and Paula began attending Cope’s Family Connections events, where she says she feels the same sense of family support that she had in Mexico.
Patricia also joined On The Verge, a program of On The Move, where community leaders work to empower others to get involved and create a more equitable community. She says through this work, she has grown not only as an individual, but as a woman and a professional.
Patricia is currently working with her Family Support Specialist Liv. She is working on her English, and she appreciates that she is able to practice speaking English with Liv. She says Liv is supportive of her language goals, and she feels confident speaking English with her, even if her grammar and pronunciation aren’t perfect.
Something that Patricia says she has particularly appreciated about working with Cope is how open and accepting the staff are. She is grateful that Cope takes into consideration different life experiences, and that the staff are always there to help without judgment.
She is also impressed by the staff’s capacity, clarity, and empathy when discussing parenting, even if they don’t have their own children. “I feel comfortable as a mom here. Everyone is always so kind to me, and when I was pregnant with Paula, they would tell me ‘You’re glowing, you’re so pretty.’ It made me feel good.”
With the support and guidance of her Family Support Specialists, Patricia has strengthened her parenting skills and has developed a strong relationship with her daughter. While she sometimes feels sad that Paula isn’t growing up alongside her cousins in Mexico, she says that their little family of three spends a lot of time together, and she knows that they’re great parents. Paula is sweet and makes friends easily, and Patricia can see that Paula is happy and enjoying her childhood.
“Patricia has a great sense of Paula and what she’s going through,” says Liv. “She is thoughtful about how her own experiences impact Paula.” She adds that “Paula is curious and brave. She runs up to kids to play. I see these amazing traits that Patricia and Paula share.”
Patricia says that she is thankful that she saw one of Cope’s testimonials on Instagram. “It helped me see that you can experience tough things like depression and still go forward and be a good mom.”
She also says that she is grateful to be a part of Cope and to receive the support she needs.
She now feels confident talking about her experiences. “It has been validating to have my experiences and hard work as a mom recognized.”