Patricia Castro is a Venezuelan mother who has lived in New York since 2018. She left Venezuela due to its precarious economic and political situation.
It wasn’t until December 2019 that Patricia discovered VIA through the organization’s winter jacket donation program. The experience left such a strong impression on her that in January 2020, she attended the last in-person meeting of the Peer Support Program (PSP) right before the pandemic hit the world. Even after, she attended every session virtually every other Monday. Isolation, motherhood, and her status as an immigrant in a country she barely knew were the key reasons why she never missed a PSP session.
“I live in Brooklyn, and at first, I had no contact with other Venezuelans here. Finding VIA was like seeing a light in my path. I told myself: I’m going to join. I had just given birth. My daughter was four months old. [Joining VIA’s activities] was like my connection to my country. Peer Support? I didn’t even know what it was, but I was going to go,” Patricia recalls.
Patricia, a cook in a Brooklyn school, says that SEP changed her life positively in every way. She shares that the group became a support network. “There [I held on through] each meeting every 15 days with Dr. Liliana, Dr. Rachel Lee, and later with Dr. Adriana Gioni. There was also that connection with other mothers, with other migrants in the same situation as me, seeking asylum, [understanding] how the process worked,” she affirms.
Patricia clarifies that her involvement with VIA wasn’t just seeking legal advice. “It was about being there. I felt like I was part of a community, and I felt that I wasn’t the only one going through this. Maybe I didn’t participate; it wasn’t what I felt like doing then, but I listened to the other person. And I told myself: this is happening to me too, ” she explains.
With SEP, Patricia learned the importance of caring for mental health and having a support network. “It’s important to feel that you’re not alone, that you have the tools to face each situation,” she advises.
VIA: A Second Family
Patricia is convinced when she says that she considers VIA her second family. Through them, she could connect and receive legal guidance, thanks to online resources.
Her gratitude towards the group was so profound that she volunteered. “This is a way to connect more with my country, whose situation has worsened. The number of migrants arriving in New York City has increased. That’s why I told myself I have to keep helping. I spoke with Niurka and Hector. I told them I wanted to be more involved. Use my time and skills. I want to help where a hand is needed, and I will be there,” says Patricia with joy and emphasis.