Success Stories

Financial Assistance  

My husband and I lost our jobs at the beginning of the pandemic. Unfortunately, our family lives paycheck to paycheck; when the pandemic hit the city we didn’t have any savings. My children returned to school last week. This year is very different and has been a challenging learning journey because everything is now virtual. Right when my son most needed a computer to do his homework, ours stopped working. It was difficult to see him struggling and trying to figure a way to stay on top of his work. We have been trying to get a computer or a tablet from his school but they told us that they don’t have enough computers and that it may take a while. We reached out to Mixteca for help, we didn't know if we would get selected because we know many people are going through the same situation. We received a call from Mixteca to let us know we would receive some financial support. Even though we need the funds to pay for our bills, we decided to use these funds to get my son a cheap computer so he can do his homework. Thanks to Mixteca, we will alleviate my son's difficulty in navigating this virtual world. We are still behind our bills, and we still can't find a job, but at least my son will have the necessary tools to get his education. That's all I wish for, for my children to be okay.

Health Care Assistance: NYC Care 

I just had a baby last year. Unfortunately, I do not have health coverage anymore. It has been really hard because I don’t have a job. My husband works some hours every week. I have been diagnosed with postpartum depression and I do admit I need help. My husband has diabetes and since we don’t have a job, we don’t have health insurance. We asked ourselves many times, why even bother to seek medical attention if we don't even have health insurance? At the end we are just going to end up paying large amounts of money—money we don't have. Mixteca Organization broadcasted a workshop about a program called NYC Care on September 16th through Facebook. I was so relieved and happy to know that we might be eligible for a health plan in NYC. Right after the presentation, I reached out to Mixteca for help and someone from their team supported me through the process. I felt very safe in sharing my situation. I’m very happy to know people are still out there to help us without being judged. We contacted NYC Care and I was successfully scheduled for an appointment in 2 weeks. I will try to send my documents on my own because I want to learn, however if I am unable to do it on my own, I know Mixteca is there for our community to help me and my family.

Rent assistance

Claudia is a single mother of a 10-year old child and a survivor of family-based violence living in the Bronx. She reached out to Mixteca looking to find support and help filling out the paperwork for New York State's Rent Relief Program. Due to the pandemic, Claudia was five months behind on rent and experiencing heavy anxieties during the peak of COVID-19. Unfortunately, she did not qualify for the NYS Rent Relief Program but with the help of a Mixteca staff member, Claudia was able to receive a grant of $1,500 to support her in her rent expenses while gaining additional knowledge about her housing rights and receiving peer support through Mixteca’s mental health program.  

ESOL + Immigrant Advocacy + Food + Volunteer

Rafael found out about Mixteca’s DACA renewal scholarship in his Conversational English class taught by one of Mixteca’s volunteers. He applied and was connected by a Mixteca staff member to an attorney at Volunteers of Legal Service who helped him complete the paperwork for his renewal. Rafael received his renewal at the end of April at no cost to him or his family, whose finances had been negatively affected by the pandemic. Extremely appreciative of all the support he has received, Rafael now volunteers at Mixteca to prepare and deliver boxes of fresh vegetables to families with emergency needs because of COVID19.

SNAP + Food Distribution

Javier and his wife have been unemployed since New York City shut down in March 2020. Both are undocumented and they have 3 children. Javier received $400 in pandemic help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but was having trouble activating it. Javier contacted Mixteca in June and explained his family was struggling with finding food. A Mixteca staff member arranged for Javier to be a recipient of the organization’s emergency food distribution program, and helped him to activate his funds from SNAP so he could buy more food for his family.

Rent assistance + food distribution + medical services

Luis is 70 years old, rents a room in Sunset Park and has no family in the US. Though he needed emergency assistance during the first months of the pandemic, he was unaware of how to find it because he does not have access to the internet or a smartphone. Luis walked into Mixteca in June and the staff were able to assist him with funding for rent assistance and signed him up for weekly food distribution. When staff members noticed Luis began calling Mixteca frequently saying he had forgotten important information, the staff was able to connect him to medical services. “Gracias por ser mi familia,” Luis told staff recently: “Thanks for being my family.”

COVID loss/grief

When Valeria, a descendant of Nahuatl speakers from Veracruz, immigrated to the United States with her mother and father, they had a bright future planned. Unfortunately, the pandemic brought the family only burdens, loss, and grief. Valeria tragically lost both of her parents to COVID-19 in a span of six weeks. The emotional stress left her in a state of depression with financial needs that felt insurmountable. Fortunately, Valeria found her way to Mixteca, where the staff was able to provide the help she needed. “Unfortunately I lost my parents, and with them my emotional and financial support system,” Valeria describes, “But Mixteca was with me in those difficult moments. Thanks to everyone who works there. I know it is an organization that is helping people in every way.”

Indigenous languages + emergency financial/food support

Martina lives in the Bronx with her two children. She was desperate for financial and emotional support during the pandemic but struggled to find someone who could understand her needs. Martina speaks Tu’usavi, a variant of the indigenous language Mixteco, and had been feeling at a loss for quite some time when she found her way to Mixteca. Mixteca recently launched an effort to offer interpretation and services in indigenous languages, recognizing the importance of creating a space for diverse groups to share their indigenous roots, culture and language. Through Mixteca’s efforts, Martina was able to connect with other Tu’usavi speakers, and access emergency financial and food support.