By Sr. Theresa Gleeson, BVM Several years ago Eloisa was married and had two small children, but the relationship ended after a long period of domestic violence. Her husband paid all of the bills when he was with the family but now that he is gone Eloisa had to find a job to pay the…
DetailsMarisol originally came to Taller de José almost 4 years ago, seeking assistance with several legal matters. When she first visited, she had recently left a situation of domestic violence and was in the process of building a new life for herself and her children. Taller de José was able to connect her with legal…
DetailsBy Hillary Buzaid With the cold weather upon us and the recent school cancellations due to extreme weather, I have been sure to ask clients if they have the proper winter attire when I see them. Fortunately, Taller de Jose has a few different ways that we can help clients get winter coats, so I…
DetailsBy Joan Stopka Some of the accompaniments that have impacted me the most are the trips I have taken to USCIS, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. We accompany individuals there for a variety of reasons, including interviews for those applying for residency or citizenship. I recently accompanied an elderly woman who was ready to…
DetailsGraciela visited Taller de José because she had just been laid off. There’s never a good time to lose one’s job, but right before the holidays is probably one of the worst times. By the time she came to Taller, Graciela had already found new temporary work, but she wasn’t going to be able to…
DetailsAcela was a friendly older woman referred to us by Esperanza Health Clinic, a local clinic in Little Village that provides quality bilingual, bicultural medical services to the community. When she arrived at Taller de Jose, she already knew where to go. “Cook County,” she said, “Last time they wouldn’t see me.” It was my…
DetailsThis Thanksgiving, I have been thinking about how grateful I am for the relationships I’ve formed with clients and all that they’ve taught me. One such client is Juana, who came to Taller de José looking for help as she applied for U-VISA immigration status, a special visa available to those who have been victims…
DetailsOn Tuesday, I was scheduled to assist a client with voting. The client has visual impairments that prevent her from seeing detail, and thus would be unable to read the ballot. The client had called and confirmed with the election board that she could bring someone to assist her, and as I found out on…
DetailsWhen a new client comes in to Taller de Jose for an initial intake, I first meet him or her in the waiting room. If there are multiple people in the waiting room, there is this brief moment of panic in which I frantically look around thinking, “Ok, now who exactly is my client?”. But…
DetailsYolanda is a shy young woman who came to Taller de José last week. She was referred by Mujeres Latinas en Acción, a local agency that serves victims of domestic violence and seeks to empower women in the community. Yolanda is soft spoken but self-assured. She credits Mujeres Latinas for helping her develop this self-assurance…
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