I am Cecilia James and I met Carmen, founder of Caridad, when my son was about a year and half old. I worked for a group home for mentally challenged adults, and they provided me with a home and meals, for both me and my child, since I could not afford to live on my own. Carmen came in to my life and gave me courage and guided me to the next step in my life, having my own place. In order to have my own place, Carmen advised that I would need 2 jobs. Of course, I was blessed that my mother lives with me. I was able to accomplish my first goal and move to my own apartment. It is a great feeling. I have been working 2 jobs ever since. Presently, I am working on my next dream which is to own my own house. When I have a problem I cannot solve, the first person I call is Carmen, at Caridad. I was in a legal dispute and Caridad obtained my lawyer, guided me through the process in what to do and I was able to win the case. I know that Caridad will be at my side, as long as I listen and follow their advise. It has certainly worked for me and my son. Thank you Caridad!

I am Delmi Ramos and I met Carmen, founder of Caridad Inc., at the restaurant where I used to work 12 years ago. I was raising my two children by myself, with no financial support from their father. I had two jobs in order to pay for expenses. Just when i thought that was going to be my life forever, I approached Carmen and asked her if she would assist and guide me to a better life with my children. The first thing she asked me was what were my goals and dreams. I said to her I would like to own my own restaurant. I also told her that I felt very alone and I would like to get married again. She told me that was not impossible, as we live in America and if we work hard and do the right thing we will acomplish our dreams. Carmen started coaching me on all the steps to take, not only to have the restaurant but also to find a partner. I am happy to say that I now own 3 restaurants, I have been married to my husband for 10 years, and last but not least, I reaffirmed my faith in God. I believe that all one needs to do is to be humble enough to listen and follow the advice we receive – to try a different path than the one that is currently not working, and to have the courage to see beyond all the obstacles that come our way. We must have faith that God will help us achieve our dreams.

I’m a single mom of 4 babies. I found out about Caridad after asking for help with my children’s school supplies. Carmen had donated supplies to kids who needed them and provided a letter for those parents who may need extra help. At the time I had to take off 2 weeks of work to take care of my children. Due to that I fell extremely behind on bills. After reaching out to Caridad, Carmen met with me to learn my story and see how they could best help me. They have helped me with my utility’s and prevented them from being shut off. I’m currently still working with Caridad on bettering my life and getting back to self dependency. Schooling, childcare, rental assistance and more are what we are focusing on and working towards in the near future. Carmen has made it clear that Caridad is in it for the long run for myself and my children and will always be there to guide me and offer advice when needed. ​