We’re continuing our series “Why Esperanza?”, in which we’re speaking with some of the amazing people that make Esperanza so special. We hope to share some insight as to who they are, why they have chosen to be a part of the Esperanza family, what growth they’ve seen in their time with Esperanza, and what their hopes and dreams are for the future of the organization. Two weeks ago, we spoke with long-time donor Emily Content.

In this edition, we hear from Esperanza employee Patricia Gonzalez! Thank you to Patricia for sharing her time and wisdom with us!

​Name: Patricia González

Position: Communications and Resources Coordinator

How long have you been working for Esperanza? 11 and a half years

Tell us a little about yourself (family, background, hobbies, etc.):
I have a really big family. I am number 10 out of 11. I grew up with a lot of women because I have 8 sisters and 2 brothers. I’m the little one of the sisters. Most of my siblings haven’t been able to make it to school. I am one of three of us that graduated from college (I actually earned my marketing degree while working full-time with Esperanza). The rest of my siblings were only able to get through high school or elementary school. I didn’t grow up with my parents. When I was 10, I moved from my parents’ house and lived with my first sister and then another sister to take care of their kids while they were at the university. One of them helped to cover my own education costs. Living with my sisters was fun; I loved taking care of my nieces and nephews, but in the back of my mind I always wanted to live with my parents. Unfortunately, they just weren’t able to provide for all of us. Then when I was 18, I learned about Esperanza. This was an answer to prayer as I was looking for a job to feel more independent and provide for myself.

As for my hobbies, I love kids, playing tennis and participating in Bible studies!

What are you most passionate about and why?
I am passionate about seeing growth and transformation in people. I love seeing transformation happening, whether it’s a child learning new things, or it’s a person influencing others by example. I love watching people experience changes and being a part of that process if I can. That’s why I love butterflies – they serve as a reminder that true change ultimately comes from God. I don’t think you need to do a big thing to impact the whole world. I think that wherever you are, wherever you go, whoever you talk to, you can make an impact on those around you and they can impact you. I think God wants us to see that with our eyes open.

How did you first learn about Esperanza? What made you want to work at Esperanza?
I heard about Esperanza through my sister’s friend. She offered the job to my sister, but because she couldn’t go to the interview I went instead. They were still expecting my sister though, so I had to say, “I’m not Mariela, but I’m Patricia.” I thought I wasn’t qualified because I was just finishing high school and didn’t have the necessary work experience. They ended up hiring me to fill in for the receptionist while she was out on medical leave because they didn’t have any other options. For two months, I didn’t have a very clear idea about what Esperanza was doing but just being here, sharing with the staff, and seeing the welcoming family environment, I really wanted to stay. And at the end of the two months, they hired me full-time!

After two years of being the receptionist, I worked on updating the website in Spanish and I started to visit the field. That was when I really began to understand what we were doing and the Lord showed me the reason why I was working for Esperanza. When I met the women that we were serving, I saw reflections of my own story and my desire to be independent and provide for myself. I saw the same aspiration and desire to provide for themselves and families even when the situation was hard. The same hope that the microcredit gave them inspired me. Later I got the opportunity to work closely with the Executive Director and assume more responsibilities within the organization. Through it all, I began to experience transformation in my own life. As Esperanza was growing, so I was growing and becoming more connected to our vision and mission.

What does Esperanza’s mission mean to you?
Our mission has to do with freeing families from poverty. But it’s about more than transforming families economically – it’s about connecting people with God, reconciling them with others and with God. It’s about looking for the dignity in people, increasing their self-esteem and teaching them about God. That connects with me because Esperanza is serving people from my country, from my communities. The women we serve have lives like my sisters, aunts, and cousins. I feel that God put me here to serve my community and my country in this way, and I love doing it.

How have you seen Esperanza grow or change since you first started working here?
It was a smaller organization when I first got here. We only had about 50 employees. Now we have about 110 employees and serve more people. It´s a family that keeps growing! It’s been incredible to see how the employees today have the same energy and passion for Esperanza’s mission as those that were here when I started.

One of the greatest strengths that Esperanza has is our staff. We have people that are very passionate and dedicated to serve the Lord, and they’re willing to keep learning and growing in the organization. They are willing to keep spreading the gospel in the field. One thing that we’re doing more recently is equipping our team to be able to accomplish that mission.

Has there been an associate, event, etc. that has had a particularly meaningful impact on you?
When I was working more closely with groups, I had the opportunity to visit associates and share their stories with visitors.  One trip, we met an associate. She was a single mother with two kids, a boy and a girl. Her house had one bedroom, a kitchen, and a small space for a living room, with the roof falling apart above it. Daisy had taken some different Esperanza loans, going from $100 to $250 and was very proud of her business. The first time we went to her house, she shared about her business with so much joy and praised the Lord for having a way to provide for her family. She had a very small colmado, but it was very pretty and organized. She was a very good businesswoman. While she was sharing her story with the group and I was translating, I learned that she had HIV and that her husband had abandoned her. But despite that, she was so hopeful. She had the courage to keep moving forward. I witnessed how the Lord was working with her during that situation, the empowerment she felt from Esperanza’s presence in the midst of it all, and her dream to have something to provide for her family. It was really encouraging and fulfilling and reaffirmed me that I wanted to keep working for Esperanza.

What are your hopes and dreams for Esperanza in the future?
I would like to see Esperanza reach even more families in this country, and I believe that we have the potential to do so! I would like to see us serve thousands more families with the same mentality to grow through sharing the Gospel and creating sustainable change.