Success Stories

Bella’s Story

Bella, a high school junior, shared her story with attendees at ARCC’s recent fundraising luncheon:

“Last year, I felt like I was at my lowest. I was dealing with family problems, trying to navigate being a single mom, and struggling to get over my child’s father and his abuse. I felt like I didn’t have anyone to turn to. I was disconnected from school and my family, overwhelmed by life. I felt lost and empty and didn’t really know who I was anymore. I made choices I’m not proud of because I didn’t know how to cope with my feelings. I had conflicts with my peers and was not really doing good academically. I didn’t see a clear future, and I didn’t believe things could get better.

“In the middle of all that, I ended up joining ARCC’s Mentoring and Wellness Program, where I met my counselor, Paulina. Paulina was there for me from the beginning. She and I met for weekly sessions. She didn’t judge me; instead, she really listened to everything I was carrying inside. She gave me a safe space where I could be honest. For the first time, I felt like someone saw me for me, not for my situation. Slowly, she helped me start putting myself back together. She taught me how to cope in healthier ways, understand my emotions, and start believing that I am capable of more. She guided me on setting healthy boundaries and planning future goals. She helped me find strength when I thought I had none left.

“Because of her, I started becoming a better version of myself. I became more focused on my future and my daughter and more aware of the kind of life I want to build for us. I started working on my communication, rebuilding my relationship with my family and God, and learning how to handle life in a healthier way. I took responsibility for my actions, stopped feeling stuck, and started feeling like I had direction!

“I am now in a completely different place. I’m a better mom, I care deeply about my future, and I’ve worked hard to grow. I’ve improved my mindset and the way I carry and take care of myself. I stay out of conflict and have strengthened my family connection. I’ve improved my grades and attend school every day. I’ve even been accepted into Silicon Valley Career Technical Education’s program for my senior year—something I didn’t think was possible and will take me a step closer towards my goal of becoming an OB-GYN ultrasound technician.

“What means the most to me is knowing that I didn’t get here alone. Paulina was there through every step of my growth. She gave me hope when I had none. She supported me without judgment, no matter what I was going through, and made me feel safe enough to come to her with anything. That kind of support changed everything for me.”

Valerie’s Story

Things started to get difficult for Valerie, a Bay Area native, and her partner back in 2023 when they started abusing drugs. Her children were taken into foster care, her partner went to prison, and she got close to becoming homeless. She ended up at Parisi House on the Hill, a rehabilitation center for recovering addicts. Unfortunately, she faced obstacles during her time there, where the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) handled her case.

Her first challenge was transportation. Public transportation took five hours of travel (2 ½ hours each way) from Parisi, in South San Jose, to the DFCS office in Downtown San Jose to see her children for a two-hour visit. She had other case plan tasks and required meetings to attend that were all over the place, and fulfilling these requirements was challenging and exhausting.

Valerie also had difficulties connecting with her assigned DFCS social worker, and when she did speak with them, she did not feel heard. For example, her understanding was that she would get her kids back while she was in treatment, but that was a miscommunication. She wasn’t getting her court-ordered supervised visits, the make-up visits were difficult to get scheduled, and she was confused regarding the next steps required to get her children back into her care.

After Valerie graduated from Parisi, she was referred to the DFCS Women’s Circle Group. There she met Alyssa, who shared information about Alum Rock Counseling Center’s Parent Advocate Program and explained how it could support her situation and lead to reunification with her children.

Connecting with Alyssa, Valerie reports that she truly felt seen and heard. She immediately submitted a self-referral to get assigned a parent advocate, who turned out to be Alyssa, and after that, her situation started to improve. She started getting more consistent visits with her children, and then overnight visits. The women’s circle offered advice on how to get her case transferred to South County, which was much closer to Morgan Hill, with a new DFCS social worker. Alyssa facilitated the meet and greet between the social worker and Valerie and prior to the meeting, helped her come up with the right questions to ask so that she would be better prepared. The process of getting her children back started moving faster, and Valerie’s kids were back in her care before she knew it.

Valerie’s experience with her Parent Advocate has caused many positive changes in her life and how she sees the world. She knew that she could count on Alyssa to be there and to listen and support without judgment. Valerie shares that it meant a lot that Alyssa was able to relate to her situation because she had had a similar experience. It was also invaluable that Alyssa connected her with the right resources when she needed them.

Today, just over a year after becoming involved with ARCC, Valerie has learned that anything is possible with the right support. She no longer has a DFCS case, is 15 months clean, and continues to work with her sponsor and do the Narcotics Anonymous steps. She is a present mother and able to maintain a stable and safe environment for her kids and herself. She leads by example to her children by taking adult education classes and getting her GED equivalent. She continues to reach out to her support system so that she can stay humble and appreciate how far she has come, and to go to the women’s circle for support and to support others with current DFCS cases.

If you want to share your story, send us an email directly at info@alumrockcc.org