SAMM Success Story: Giving Back What She’s Been Given
Guest Blogger:Taylor Martin
Media Manager, SAMMinistries
Juanita Vasquez was referred to SAMMinistries for housing assistance in November 2011 from the Salvation Army. At the time of her referral she was suffering from arthritis, thyroid disease, and fibromyalgia, and functioning at the fifth grade level in both reading and math. Despite setbacks, Juanita worked with SAMM case managers to set goals for herself.
To help Juanita reach self-sufficiency, she was enrolled in SAMMinistries’ On-the-Job Training (OJT) program. Through work at SAMM’s donation station, Juanita learned valuable skills that can translate across many work environments. Although hesitant to work at first, she quickly became one of the most dependable OJT workers and enjoyed her work tremendously.
However, at the completion of her training, Juanita was still struggling to find a fulfilling and sustaining job. She loves to work with people, but felt that she needed more skills and knowledge to achieve her goal of self-sufficiency. 
With the help of SAMM, Juanita enrolled in courses to become a Certified Nurse Aide, as well as high school equivalency classes. Her path to employment was not easy, and Juanita struggled with the confidence to complete her difficult classes. However, after months of hard work, Juanita received her GED, and completed the Certified Nurse Aide classes. “I completed my goals because of my son, I really want to motivate him,” said Juanita.
Juanita’s outlook on life has never been brighter. Because she was able to fulfill her aspirations, she is now encouraging her son to set and accomplish his education goals as well. “I’ve done something with my life, and my son sees that,” she said.
However, Juanita is not just a SAMM success story; she is now also a volunteer.
“SAMM gave me the help that I needed, and I wanted to give something back. If it wasn’t for SAMM I would be on the street with my son. I needed to do something to return the favor.”
Juanita volunteers at the Donation Station as often as she can, and hopes to continue to volunteer in other areas throughout the ministry. She hopes that her story motivates other people to move forward with their lives despite hardships.
This article orginally appeared on SAMMinistries Success Stories.
SAMMinistries became an MHM funded partner in 2008.
I am especially thankful to my husband for the nomination. To know that he was the driving force behind it makes an already special award that much more precious and irreplaceable to me. I am also grateful and so happy to be a part of the Methodist Healthcare Ministries family, the Texas community and the military community including active duty, veterans and their family members. God bless everyone, especially my family and colleagues who had made me feel so special and so loved.
In February, I had the opportunity to visit our Rio Grande Valley team members and celebrate MHM’s Church Based Counseling Program’s 10-year anniversary with the Church Based Counseling Services (CBCS) team. The progress that program has made is evidence of how critical strategic planning plays in our ability to meet the needs of those we serve. The CBCS program was part of our strategic plan to improve health in the border area, and was launched in 2003. Our first program site was in Hidalgo County at a Wesley Nurse church site. We started with $180,000 which funded three counselors at six church sites in the Rio Grande Valley, and today the program’s operating budget is over $1 million and funds 11 counselors, who together serve over 17 churches across the Rio Grande Valley, Coastal Bend, and Laredo—and it is still an integral part of improving health along the Texas border.
In May we visited Del Rio, where we had an opportunity to meet with staff and partners from rural communities such as Eagle Pass, Uvalde, Carrizo Springs, Cotulla, and Crystal City. As with each of these events, we invite funded partners, representatives from local hospitals, elected officials, and civic leaders, and the conversations are always illuminating. Similar to the Rio Grande Valley, the rural communities surrounding Del Rio struggle with balancing the tremendous need for healthcare among the uninsured, and sustaining their operations. The recent activity in Austin surrounding Medicaid expansion added a layer of uncertainty as the group discussed the challenges specific to their organizations. Our partner in Cotulla, South Texas Rural Health Services, described how their community in particular has been impacted by Eagle Ford Shale which reinforced my belief that we here at MHM have been successful in identifying the issues that have shaped our strategic planning process.
