Pacheco Family has reached their fundraising goal on HandUp!

About me.

My name is Silvia, my husband's name is Juan and we both grew up in Lima, Peru. We have 2 beautiful daughters who were born in the U.S. Our oldest daughter is 4 years old and our baby is 1 year old. Juan came to the U.S. in 1999 and I joined him in 2004. Juan is a proud U.S. citizen of Peruvian descent and I recently obtained permanent residency as well so I'm very excited! We actually met when we were both 14 and 15 years old. We were young but it was love at first sight! We got married in 2008 and it's been an amazing ride with him. I'm very excited to continue this journey with him and our 2 daughters. He currently works as a janitor; he has been working for the same company for 15 years, and they just won't let him go (not that he wants to!) as he is such a hard-working husband and father. I am a stay-home mom, which is a full-time job in itself, the best job ever!

My backstory.

By accessing Raphael House's program services, our family received the support we needed during a difficult emotional and financial time. We received financial literacy sessions, and learned about budgeting. We also learned about the importance to stay well connected within the community, as this is a main source of support for a lot of families in our situation. We currently live in an apartment in Daly City and have lived there for the past 4 years. One of my main goals last year was to obtain permanent residency in the US. After a long process of 2 years, I finally was granted permanent residency! It was a really long process, but fortunately Raphael House and HandUp have assisted and supported me. Raphael House provided me with a rental subsidy which allowed me to budget and take on all the expenses that came with the process of applying, such as lawyers, applications, and a couple of other immigration expenses. I also previously received assistance from HandUp, to purchase my flight ticket to Peru. I had to go to Peru to my appointment with the embassy of the United States in order to finalize the process. Following that trip, they provided me with a Visa that allowed me to come to the US. All that was needed after that was for me to wait to receive my documents and finally, 2 days ago, I received them! The long process and hard work has been worth it and I am very excited!!

My goals, moving forward.

We are very thankful for the help HandUp has given us. We are now reaching out to HandUp to raise funds for a dining table. The main reason is that we want to have breakfast and dinner as a family. At the moment, we don’t have anything so we usually sit in different areas, the bed, in a chair, on the floor. We really just want a dining table and it would be great to give that gift to my 4 year old since every holiday she hopes that we can decorate and fill our table with food. My other personal goal is to obtain my license. I am currently studying the booklet so that I can take the hand written exam and following that, take the driving test. I do also want to get a job in customer service once my 1 year old gets a little older.

Other things I'd like to share about myself.

The family - my husband and my 2 daughters - makes me the happiest! I miss my family in Peru too, but I am so lucky and happy to have found such a great man. Juan has always been there for me, and has given me these 2 wonderful daughters. I cannot imagine my life without them. My dream was always to find peace, love, and tranquility with a partner - and I have found that. I also think I am a great wife and mother. I always have felt that I can voice my concerns and opinions with my partner, while feeling respected at the same time. I certainly also want Juan to feel the same way, which is why I am always making sure that he feels supported and heard. I want the same for my daughters. I am also extremely happy that I have become a permanent resident! I feel complete and very excited!