By Michelle Norman

We met Olivia a year and a half ago. She was a new mother who was referred to Mamáventura by social services. Her situation was difficult. Her immigration status was in process but questionable and while she waited for results, she could not work. Work would have been difficult regardless because she spoke no Spanish nor Catalan (the local language) and had little interest in learning. Additionally, she was a squatter in her apartment which meant that she had to carefully slip into the building when others were coming and going. Otherwise, she was locked out. She found herself in this situation when the boyfriend she was living with left when she found out she was pregnant and told him she was determined to keep the child. Unbeknownst to her, he had not been paying rent for some time and of course, when he left, she couldn’t pay either.  

She came to Mamáventura regularly, soaking in the opportunity to interact with other mothers and give her young son a safe place to play. The two mornings of Mamáventura each week were her haven of normalcy, until she had to rush home to slip into the building while other mothers brought their children home for lunch.   

Just before Christmas of that year, we received a message from social services and Olivia came to us in a panic. She was going to be evicted. She was given a date in early January to leave. Police would come that day and remove her forcefully if she did not go herself. Her lack of language ability prohibited her from searching for solutions, so Eli, the director of Mamáventura and I leaped into action. 

We spoke with social services and there were no options. All the emergency housing locations had waiting lists. Olivia and her son, who was just a few months old, would be on the street. We, along with social services, continued to search for a solution. One week prior to the date of the eviction, a solution was found and Olivia could move to a small village and rent a apartment at a reduced rate that her public assistance could cover. The social worker told us that it was a miracle. This type of assistance never happened.  
  
Eli and I helped Olivia move to the small village. We bought her a bed and new sheets. We bought her a refrigerator to store food and helped her set up her new place. In the months that followed, we maintained contact and were in regular contact with her new social worker who was amazing. Periodically over the past year, we would receive a text message or picture from her.  
  
A month ago, we heard from Olivia again. Eli went to visit to celebrate her son´s second birthday. The change in Olivia was remarkable. She spoke Spanish and Catalan most of the time and had been in intensive language classes because the social worker was able to arrange not only the classes, but childcare for her son. She is well on her way to a level of language and independence that will allow her to secure work. She told Eli, “Thank you so much for Mamáventura. I wouldn´t be here without it. It gave me hope.”

I am reminded of the day I helped Olivia move into her new place. I looked out her window at the mountain in the distance and told her it reminded me of one of my favorite bible verses, “I lift my eyes to hills. Where does my help come from?” I said.  
  
“My help comes from the LORD the maker of heaven and earth,” Olivia finished.  
  
No truer words have been spoken. Olivia’s help has come from the Lord and the Lord is with her each step of the way.