Juntos Se Puede Todo. Together We Can do Anything.

By Ayde Guerrero Rosas, CSA Program Associate  
​
My parents have worked all their lives doing back- breaking work ever since I can remember. Seeing both of my parents make ends meet at a young age inspired me to ask many questions such as “why do low income families work over time and still struggle to meet basic needs?” and “what does this sort of work do to their health”. Every time I saw my dad come home from work with flushed red skin and scarred hands from the broccoli fields. I could not help but feel so much admiration and respect for the work my parents did for over 20 years. I constantly remind myself that yes, I do everything for myself, but my parents made my dreams possible with sweat, hard work, and many tears. They are the reason why I aim to learn more about health and its correlation to financial well-being.  

I chose Santa Cruz Community Ventures because of their mission statement on “creating compassionate and equitable local economies that contribute to the well-being of our communities”. This statement hits close to home because wealth inequity is greatly prevalent in my hometown of Santa Maria. Financial education is not encouraged in my community due to a lack of awareness and information. I am very excited to focus my time on the launching of the Children Savings Accounts because creating healthy habits for children in Santa Cruz County will encourage healthy habits for the generation of tomorrow.  I hope to gain the skills needed to be a greater leader for Santa Cruz and my community.