For Volunteers : Volunteer Stories

A Lettter to CNVS

By Cheryl Torres, Casa de Esperanza, Houston, TX

Upon graduating from college with a BA is Psychology, I elected to volunteer for a year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.  After volunteering for a year with JVC, I waived my acceptance to a couple of MSW programs and committed to being a volunteer with Casa De Esperanza de Los Niños, INC for one year.  During my 15 hour drive to Houston I began questioning why I decided to leave my family for yet another year.  Once I finally arrived and walked in the front door of casa, I was greeted by several children and instantly felt at home. 

I held the smallest infant I had ever seen, weighing only 5 pounds at three months of age.  He required extra support with oxygen, several medications and a heart monitor to alarm if he stopped breathing. 

After being in Houston for only four days I become the legal guardian for six children with another young lady right of college.  We both went from a single 20 something to single mother of six.  It was a defining moment in time.  As I quickly adjusted to parenting, I began to attach to the foster children.  A sibling set of a four year old girl and her five year old brother were placed into our home from living on the street with their mother.  They told me stories of sleeping under bridges, in homeless shelters and in random motels.  The siblings were very street smart and told stories of smoking pot and street violence; however they could not recite the alphabet, count to ten or identify a single letter or number.  They had never celebrated a single birthday, Christmas, Easter or Halloween.  Their innocence was traded for survival. 

A premature set of twins were placed with us upon discharge from the hospital.  They weighed 5 pounds and 7.5 pounds at three months of age and required oxygen, heart monitors and several medications to maintain their health.  They both had to be awoken every couple hours to eat and give medications.  They required a lot of our attention and someone to be awake all night to respond when their monitors would alarm.  The twins were exposed to almost everything in utero and were given a poor prognosis.

The injustice the four of these children and the other 28 foster children we cared for has left an impression on my heart.  I realized that many children grow up without the love and protection they are entitled.  A child born into this world is helpless and deserves to have someone protect, nurture or at least love them. 

I realized how innate human relationships are when caring for a failure to thrive infant who had given up on living because in the first three months of life no one made eye contact or nurtured the child.  I also saw a transformation in each child that was placed with me simply due to being unconditionally loved and nurtured.  The four and five year old siblings were able to celebrate their birthdays for the first time, go trick or treating, celebrate Christmas and believe in the magic of Santa Clause.  The little boy was even able to catch up academically and completed Kindergarten at the end of the year.  The twins were able to be weaned from oxygen at 6 months of age and no longer required the heart monitors.  They began crawling and walking within the normal range of development and had no significant medical concerns. 

The children taught me that one person can make a real difference.  When the little five year old boy gave me a hug good bye and thanked me for showing him what it felt like to be loved, I realized the cycle of domestic violence is finally broken in their family.  This motivated me to stay with Casa De Esperanza and continue to fight for the children who lost their innocence and give them hope.  Casa created a position as a caseworker for me and provided the necessary training.   I fought as a caseworker for a year and a half for the children’s best interest and had many success stories and a few sad stories where children became victims of the system.  Upon the retirement of a co-worker I dived into the adoption arena and began locating families for children who were in need of a home.  I have been amazed by the generosity of individuals who have stepped forward and adopted children with significant special needs and large sibling sets all with the intent of making a difference and providing hope to a child in need. 

Working with children who have been victims of domestic violence is a roller coaster ride of success in providing hope and yet not always success in creating the best for the child.  I have witnessed hope, being defined as expecting a different outcome, provide a child the major vehicle in which they changed their life and broke their long family history of domestic violence.  I will never again doubt that one person can make a difference and bring about social justice.