So Jesus can go to school

Los Angeles –Strength Based Community Change (SBCC) mobilized their staff and their partners at Home Depot when it was brought to Erika Schwerdt’s attention that Jesus Zaragoza who moved to Lake Los Angeles with his family in February needed a child sized wheelchair.

To provide safe and secure school bus transportation for Jesus to go to school and while in school at Vista San Gabriel, SBCC and Home Depot moved many giving loving hearts and provided a new wheelchair for him, not the used one asked for.

Word was sent out within the SBBC community by Michelle Frias, a community organizer for SBCC in South Los Angeles. A group email was sent out to SBCC partners which included Home Depot, but by mistake. Or was it? It was Home Depot who immediately responded, rallied and in no time at all there was a brand-new child’s wheelchair purchased by Home Depot people for Jesus.

Traveling the freeway system together to retrieve the wheelchair were Erika, brothers Emiliano and Emanuel Zaragoza and Jesus’ mother Maricela Zaragoza-Reyes. Their long day on the freeway included a special American lunch treat on the way home.

Once home in Lake Los Angeles, the next stop was at Wilsona School District’s Save the Children where the family received a box of fresh fruits, some treats for the boys and family supplies from Maria Olegine and her very able staff.

SBBC staff met the family when they applied for a program through SBBC at the Wilsona School District campus. They felt comfortable asking for help with Jesus’s specific school situation. This is the result of the core values of SBCC and Share the Children which is shared by the two organizations. The family came here not knowing the language and shared common relocating experiences with Erika. Maricela told Erika how she wanted to learn English, get into school and be a good citizen of America. Being introduced to this relationship building has given Maricela the ability to help others, like the next person who will share her journey.

Alex Cornejo, Director of Communications & Productions for SBCC said, “Today will be a very memorable day for Jesus and his family. Moments like these restore hope in people and you can see it in the faces of Jesus and his mother.”

Pictured: Erika Schwerdt, Emiliano and Emanual Zaragoza, Maricela Zaragoza-Reyes and Michelle Frias with Jesus in his new wheelchair. Jesus hugged his backpack with school supplies and activity package.

Photos by SBCC

By Shirley Harriman