A Healthy Family for Every Child

How does someone with sweet and honorable dreams of becoming a teacher, a mom, and providing a safe home for neighborhood kids get to be handcuffed in the back of a police car, high on drugs, while seeing her children taken away by strangers?

A life of adversity led Krista to make decisions that had her on a very destructive path. Abuse, neglect, addiction, jail, rehab, relapses, and toxic relationships were all part of the endless cycle Krista was in.

Determined to make a change, Krista walked into The Crossing. She was apprehensive and guarded, wondering if she would be judged.

Krista was met with kindness and compassion instead. She said: “I would only open up a little bit at the time. With tears in her eyes, my advocate often said, “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

“In my pain and in my mess, as I faced the consequences of my own decisions, I was seen, accepted, and loved.

I was finally able to get custody of my boys! I love being a mom and doing life with my twins. Sometimes, we take the tantrums and messes for granted, the early morning routines, the meal prepping. All of the daily tasks that go into parenting can easily become a chore, but for me, those messes and tantrums are reminders of the life I had dreamed about as a little girl.

The Crossing has been a place of refuge and safety for me and my boys. I began to heal and grow and have a sense of self. At first, I was overwhelmed by the many things I needed to accomplish, and as I started working with the staff, setting goals, and achieving those, I became more and more confident. I got my high school diploma, driver’s license, and I’m currently enrolled at Marian’s school and working toward my Bachelor’s Degree, a double major in Social Work and Psychology. I have found my calling, and I dream of being the person who can guide others to the light.

If I could go back and tell that girl, sitting in the back of the police car, high on drugs, fearful of what was next, worried about her kids, I would tell her:

“Krista, honey, you’ll live to tell a great story.”

Please consider a meaningful gift to provide hope, education, and basic needs supplies to families like Krista and her boys. Together, we will fulfill our vision of a HEALTHY FAMILY FOR EVERY CHILD.

Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year!

Belinda Esquinas, Executive Director, The Crossing