Silvia Goana
Silvia Goana is originally from Pátzcuaro,Michoacán, Mexico. Silvia came to the United States at age 18 and has lived in this country for 18 years.
Silvia has a childcare center at home, and she learned about the “Abuela, Mamá y Yo” program through an email. She began attending classes, receiving the newsletters, and fell in love with the program. With the help of Alejandra and Rebeca, she found this program to be a source of information and inspiration.
“If I don’t write it down, I forget.”
On a typical day, which is usually Fridays, Silvia always visualizes her day. She starts the day with a list. She goes to the food bank and follows her notes for deliveries. In one day, Silvia distributes between 20 to 60 boxes of food in Salem and other nearby areas.
During the pandemic, Silvia is very happy as a promotora because she has the opportunity to make a difference for many families. The way in which people have found out about her work is by word to mouth, which is very effective among Latino families.
“There are many resources, I have to share.”
When Silvia works with a family, she wants them to know about all the resources, especially the resources that are free. When she is explaining about resources or when she delivers a box of food, she wants families to feel comfortable “No string attached” She knows that it is important to respect the confidentiality of the families she serves.
“The most important thing for me is to share a box of food. Let them know that we are here to help them.” This is important because many Latino people in the United States have fear, they do not trust programs and are afraid of services being related to public charge or deportation. They don’t know who to believe or they think there is something wrong with free stuff.
“It is important to know how to listen and be sensitive to their needs.”
Silvia loves her experience with Familias en Acción. She is very grateful to be a part of the program, because each box of food is a very beautiful experience. Especially in these times when she has been able to help families suffering from health problems.
“Thanks to Familias en Acción for this work, it is a great blessing!”