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Hope for the Holidays
For as far back as she can remember, Bethzaida T. has thought of Rosie’s Place as home. Her first visits were with her mother, who came here not long after her family emigrated from Puerto Rico. Bethzaida’s mother escaped from an abusive marriage and sought us out for meals and help with a new place to live for her and her children. “Rosie’s Place has been my place—the place—for more than 35 years, almost my entire life,” Bethzaida says.
ANDY BLANCHARD
ASSISTANT DINING ROOM MANAGER To Assistant Dining Room Manager Andy Blanchard, the holiday season is the time when Rosie’s Place really shines. Andy, who came to Rosie’s Place in 2000 after retiring from a career in the Army, draws on his military experience to oversee the delivery of more than 90,000 meals annually–and he is never more organized than for our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.
How are the holidays celebrated in our Dining Room? On both Thanksgiving and Christmas, we open the Dining Room early, at 10 a.m., for a hot breakfast of eggs, bacon, fruit, toast and sausage gravy. The guests find the room decorated—especially at Christmas—and there are tablecloths and flowers on each table. Around noon we start passing appetizers such as chicken wings and crab cakes and offer cheese plates and vegetable and fruit dips. A local jazz singer, Valerie Stephens, is a real crowd favorite and she keeps the fun going all afternoon. We usually have around 150 women with us at midday. At dinnertime we serve a traditional holiday dinner—turkey at Thanksgiving and ham at Christmas—with all the fixings. This Thanksgiving we’re serving apple pie with ice cream for a change of pace. By serving food all day, we try to make it seem like a feast. What do you think makes these celebrations special for our guests? This season can be tough for women who are not connected to their families. When they spend the day with us, they are welcomed into an upbeat and fun atmosphere of good company, food and music. Women can come and go throughout the whole day. They can eat as much as they want, sit for as long as they want. They can sing and dance with the music and are free to really cut loose. It’s nice to see a happier side of some of our guests. I’ve worked every Thanksgiving and Christmas since I’ve been here and it’s always great. What keeps you so committed after almost 15 years? What is so gratifying to me is putting a full plate of healthy food down in front of a guest who needs a meal. It’s a simple thing and immediately rewarding. I appreciate being able to connect with someone on such a personal level.
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Q&A
Over the years, Bethzaida’s mother continued to struggle to keep her family together, and Bethzaida was shuffled between family members and the foster care system. Like so many young people in her situation, she suffered different forms of abuse and fell into drug and alcohol addiction once she was out on her own. But she always returned to Rosie’s Place, knowing she’d find the sanctuary and love she craved and the support she needed.
My mother always told me that
Rosie’s Place would take care of me, and they have. Even when I never really had anything to
hold onto, I had Rosie’s Place.
Bethzaida eventually married and had two sons of her own, but again found herself at our door, looking for a bed for the night. Rosie’s Place not only welcomed her into our Overnight program; our Advocates helped her to enroll in a recovery program and find a place to live. She received assistance for chronic health issues through our Wellness Center and continues to receive medical care from the nurse practitioner she met here. Through creative writing workshops in our Arts Initiative, she started to find her voice. “The staff at Rosie’s Place have always done so much for me,” she recalls. “They are so kind, they keep an eye on me, and keep me motivated and safe. They are my friends” Slowly Bethzaida started to feel hopeful, believing that life could get better. And in the past year, that hope has been realized.
Last December, Bethzaida joined the Rosie’s Place Back on My Feet running/walking group that meets in the early morning, and started on a path toward an incredible 162-pound weight loss. She has been hired as an outreach advocate by the Whittier Street Community Health Center to educate women in the community about HIV prevention. And she’s taking the initiative to give back to Rosie’s Place, which she says has done so much for her.
Bethzaida and her grandson
She noticed that many Spanish-speaking women attending English language AA meetings with her were not fully able to participate, so Bethzaida, who is proficient in both Spanish and English, offered to lead a Spanish meeting at Rosie’s Place. Our Self-Advocacy department funded a facilitation training for her, and since the fall, her Friday afternoon meetings have been growing in attendance. “I love it—it helps me with self-esteem and I’m more motivated to take care of myself and others,” she says of leading the meetings. “It’s easy to close your conscience door when you have nothing to look forward to. Now I can give back for all the years that I was taking.” Bethzaida is doing all she can to make this Christmas different from those that came before it. She is more connected to her sons now and, with her weight loss, has the energy to keep up with her three year-old grandson, who she “adores.” With the help of a Rosie’s Place’s outreach worker who provides in-home support, she has been able to maintain her apartment and has new furniture we have provided. Rather than having her Christmas meal at Rosie’s Place as she usually does, this year she will decorate and bring her extended family together at her home for a joyous celebration. “Emotionally, right now I’m great,” she says. “My mother always told me that Rosie’s Place would take care of me, and they have. Even when I never really had anything to hold onto, I had Rosie’s Place.”