By Kari Carmody, Amate House Fellow and Compañera
I recently met with a client, Karina, for assistance with child support paperwork. We deciphered what the paperwork meant and what her next step was, and afterwards she then asked me if I knew where she could get a van that was wheel-chair accessible for her family member. I ended up referring Karina to Devices 4 the Disabled and she left a voicemail for them and waited. Devices 4 the Disabled collects and redistributes durable medical equipment to those unable to purchase the items on their own; we weren’t sure if they provided vans, but thought it was worth trying. Finding a specialized van that is accessible for those in wheelchairs that is affordable is very tough, and for free is almost impossible.
However, the next week the client called me saying that the organization was able to give her a van and she already has the vehicle in her name and new license plates! We were both so excited, and she expressed that she was very grateful that Taller de José gave her the referral.
I think that this beautiful story of Karina getting an accessible van in such a short time period is representative of hope. Many times, in our pursuit to achieve our goals we are constantly denied or told that there is nothing else that can be done. Constantly being told no or meeting dead ends can be very demoralizing, however, this person did not give up. She asked me about a van because she still had hope that there may be something out there, and her resiliency and strength in continuing searching resulted in her being able to get exactly what she was looking for.
Hope is a powerful and beautiful quality and I am lucky to collaborate with such resilient clients that hold onto it.
