Seeding Self-Empowerment
Hear Zonia's story, who has relied on the Spanish Community of Wallingford, along with her family members, for more than 20 years.
The simple act of tending to a garden can be a meaningful and meditative ritual, a moment of self-reflection and self-care. That’s how Zonia, a mother of three in the Wallingford area, feels about the rose bushes in her garden. She bought them for herself with the stipend she received after participating in a tech literacy workshop at the Spanish Community of Wallingford (SCOW).
“Every single program here gives help not only to provide services or education, but also that personal and emotional care that a homemaker needs,” said Zonia. “Being a homemaker, I’m cooking, I’m doing everything, but to take advantage of one of the workshops or classes here, it’s my time – my time to learn something that’s my own, to become something that’s my own.”
The tech literacy class and stipend offered by SCOW are part of a suite of resources that receives funding support from the Community Foundation’s Community Fund for Women and Girls Pathways to Economic Security grant program. The class focuses on skills for the workforce and includes incentives like transportation, childcare and small stipends like the one Zonia received, to help working parents and the "huge" population of stay-at-home moms SCOW serves get ahead.
SCOW Executive Director Adriana Rodriguez emphasizes that these incentives are critical to meet their clients where they are.
“What we love is that the Foundation allows us to be innovative in the way that we run programming,” Rodriguez says. “We were able to have a bilingual instructor, to provide transportation, provide childcare and provide some refreshments.”
For Zonia, SCOW has been a go-to resource ever since she and her husband arrived in Connecticut 23 years ago. During her first pregnancy, she sought SCOW’s assistance with transportation and interpretation for doctor’s visits. Since then, she said, “the whole entire family has taken advantage of the programs and workshops offered at SCOW.”
Whether getting help translating bills or filling out school forms, or attending health clinics or summer camp, Zonia said she and her family members feel comfortable turning to SCOW for help.
When Zonia’s oldest son was a senior in high school, SCOW helped him through the college application process. Now a college graduate, he is starting his career as a schoolteacher.
“Having these services for the Hispanic/Latino community, from different Latin American countries and Spanish-speaking countries, it’s so necessary because when you first arrive here, not knowing the language, everything is so new that – even paying bills, small things like that – you don’t know how to navigate,” said Zonia. “To see my first son succeed and become a teacher, it’s not lost on me where he began, taking all these programs here, and knowing that that was necessary for him to get to where he is today. I feel very proud and very lucky."
SCOW’s programs have never been more important, says Rodriguez, as federal immigration policy has increased arrests and deportations in Connecticut. “We work in social services. It’s hard with the political climate and with funding, but hearing Zonia’s story makes it all worthwhile,” Rodriguez said.
Amid a spike of ICE activity in Connecticut – 405 arrests this year as of July 31, per the Connecticut Mirror – SCOW has had to adjust its programming to meet an increased need for emotional support.
“There’s a lot more fear. We are working extra hard to continue building that rapport with our families, so they know that they can depend on us, that they can find a safe space here. I think the current climate is just adding another layer to the already existing barriers,” said SCOW Assistant Executive Director Lizandra Mejias-Salinas.
SCOW is partnering with municipal and state agencies to stay up to date on protocols, Rodriguez said, as well as adapting how they market events to more directly target current and potential clients. “There are just so many emotions that they’re dealing with, so we’re just really trying to continue operations as scheduled.”
Rodriguez said SCOW staffers are “really thankful to The Foundation and the Community Fund for Women & Girls to allow programming” like the tech literacy workshop that helped Zonia grow her computer skills and her garden. “We’re appreciative of the opportunity, and that opportunity was only possible because of The Community Foundation and grant support.”
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To celebrate 30 years of the Community Fund for Women & Girls, we will be shining a spotlight on the changemakers who have made the Fund what it is today. Read their stories, vote for your favorite, and help two organizations secure a $2,000 grant later this year! Plus, sign up for our newsletter and attend The Fund’s culminating celebration on November 13, 2025 at the Omni Hotel in New Haven.
