Laura was living with her six children in one of the most vulnerable neighborhoods we work with when we met her family through Hora Feliz, one of the five community kitchens The Vines Foundation supports in Tunuyán.
They were renting a home in the neighborhood, and the children came to the kitchen regularly, where Claudia and her team welcomed them for meals. They also took part in events and activities organized by the Foundation, receiving clothing, sneakers, school supplies and other essentials.
Then the family had to leave the house they were renting. They moved to Colonia Las Rosas, and the distance meant the children could no longer come to Hora Feliz.
Laura Martorell, who coordinates our Community Kitchens Program and knows many of the families personally, stayed in touch. Over time, what the family needed changed: clothing or shoes for the kids, food, toys, school backpacks and things for the house. Through the Foundation, we continued helping with those needs.
Last year, a severe storm caused significant damage to the house where they were living. Laura reached out for help, and the Foundation arranged for mattresses and plastic sheeting to help them get through it. Not long after, the family had to move again, to another home in Colonia Las Rosas.
Meanwhile, the children were growing up. One of Laura’s sons was starting secondary school and needed sneakers and pants. His sisters needed backpacks and clothes for the new school year. The Foundation was able to provide those essentials, too.
Today, Laura and her children receive a weekly bag of food through The Vines Foundation. They haven’t been back to Hora Feliz since moving away, but the relationship that began there has continued through two moves, a storm and new school years.
Laura and her children may no longer come to the kitchen, but we haven’t lost touch.
