Story of Transformation - Areli

At our 30th Anniversary Celebration, Urban Ventures Participant Areli shared about her family’s work to break negative cycles and create a brighter future for her family. Watch above or read below to hear how Urban Ventures comes alongside families as they work to be who God created them to be.

Good evening! It’s been said that the best gift a person can receive from others is their time, also thank you for being here to celebrate.

I am originally from a beautiful town in Mexico, but my parents, like so many others, had little work opportunities there, and so they made the difficult decision to move their family here to the United States.  That is how, as a teenager, I became an immigrant. My parents dedicated themselves to working very hard. I will always be grateful to them for teaching me from an early age what it means to have a strong work ethic. 

But I also remember wishing they would be home more. I felt alone in trying to figure out life. I started a relationship, and was blessed with my first daughter. I knew early on as a mother that I wanted to give her a different childhood than the one I had. My parents did the best they could with what they had, but my home growing up was filled with abuse, negativity, and a lack of affection.

Today, I am a mom of three beautiful children. But I was not a beautiful mom at first.

I started raising my children the same way I was raised, continuing the patterns I was trying to break. 

I remember being harsh with one of my children because that was how I was taught to discipline. But at the same time, I was apologizing to them, because I knew how much it hurt me as a child to be treated so harshly. 

I was afraid my children would feel alone, or feel like I didn’t love them enough.

I felt guilty and helpless because I knew that history was repeating itself and I didn’t know how to make a change. And that’s why I want to apologize to my children – they are here tonight. I love you, and I am sorry.

This cycle continued for many years. I had mostly given up hope. But one day, I heard a wonderful woman from Urban Ventures talking about how to be a better parent. She did it with so much love and passion. It was how I wanted to be as a parent. It was what I had been searching for.

This woman, Myrna Garcia, invited me to her class on Wednesday nights. The timing felt impossible for me and my partner, Luis. We both worked at night. But when we talked about our greatest priorities, we decided to make the sacrifice. We came to class from 6 to 8pm and then went to work until 3am. Believe me, this was a sacrifice. But it was worth it!

Little by little, I learned that parents can be physically present but emotionally absent. This is what I had become. The class helped me see a path where I didn’t see one before. I believed I could become the parent I wanted to be.

But it wasn’t just the class, this great place had something for everyone in our family. When Urban Ventures says that they have programs for every age, I can confirm that it is true.

My youngest youngest son is a student here. He is in the Cornwell Early Learning Center. My middle child has mentors here. And my oldest daughter… she works for Urban Ventures! She is also the first in the family to go to college! 

I asked my partner, Luis, what has been a positive thing about being part of Urban Ventures. He answered quickly. GETTING MARRIED. We had been living together for 17 years, raising children together. But, attending the classes helped us decide to get legally married and demonstrate what a healthy, committed, relationship looks like to our children.

Thanks to Urban Ventures I have been able to break negative cycles in my family. We have created a better story for my children.

I know I still have a lot to learn, but I also know that I am not alone in the process. I have Urban Ventures by my side. And so does my family.

There are many people out there trying to find an opportunity to transform their lives and the generations to come. Like me, they are searching for how to be the people they know they can be. With your help, they can have that opportunity with this beautiful organization. 

Thank you/Gracias