By: Diana Murillo
Marketing Specialist
Center for Human Services

Elma Genesta, a 64-year-old Empire resident, initially contacted Center for Human Services’ Ceres Partnership for assistance with housing applications and found something she wasn’t expecting: a sense of belonging and empowerment.

Elma connected with Ceres Partnership after attending exercise classes hosted by the Promotora program, where services such as application assistance and monthly food boxes were mentioned. Although these exercise classes ended, Elma’s life was positively impacted by her friendships with the women from the classes. The camaraderie and sense of belonging she found in the exercise classes lessened her loneliness, invaluable in the wake of the pandemic.

Elma currently lives with her adult daughter but yearns to live independently. This stems from a desire for personal growth and autonomy. Although she cares for her family, she understands the value of pursuing her own journey.

Elma’s goals for the future are to find a job and live independently. Unsure of where to begin, she turned to Ceres Partnership. The staff at Ceres Partnership helped her with her resume and connected her to places in the community that were hiring. She had previously worked as a recreation aid in Southern California and wants to return to a role in a school district.

She expresses gratitude for CHS’ role in expanding her horizons and providing a pathway to realize her aspirations. This was the first time that Elma had reached out for help. Like many others, she hesitated to seek assistance due to reasons such as language barriers, technological challenges, and personal pride. Her advice to others in a similar circumstance is to reach out, ask for help, and become informed about available resources. She emphasizes that even in a world saturated with technology, face-to-face interactions and human connections remain crucial.

By sharing her journey, she hopes to inspire others to take the first step toward seeking the support they need. She encourages others in similar situations to reach out, access the resources, and take advantage of the help available. She shared, “I give them all the green light or the confidence, so people know that you are here. That’s what it’s about, helping each other.”

Elma sees the Family Resource Center as an ally in her journey to becoming self-sufficient and will continue to work alongside them to achieve her goals.

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