As part of our Beyond Housing blog series, “It’s Personal,” we spotlight Opportunity Home employees who have been a part of our housing programs and make a positive impact everyday in our community through their experience, expertise, and dedication.
Antonia Flores and her daughter Angelica Rangel have been forever impacted by a strong community and supportive services that have changed the trajectory of their life.
Their experiences living in public housing and the support they received have helped them overcome obstacles and achieve self-sufficiency. Both of them, along with another of Antonia’s daughters, have chosen career paths at Opportunity Home that allow them to give back by offering the kind of encouragement and support that made such an impact on their lives.
Surrounded By a Strong Community
Antonia was a divorced mother of four with a modest income when she became a resident of an Opportunity Home public housing community. She was able to access the supportive services offered to work towards self-sufficiency, and living in public housing gave her the ability to provide a safe, quality home for her children, surrounded by a strong, supportive community.
She recalls one Christmas when she didn’t have a tree or gifts for her children, and their property manager, Miss Garza, brought the family a bag filled with presents.
“I don’t remember what the gifts were. My kids probably don’t, either. It’s just that she thought about us. She knew that I didn’t have presents for my kids, and she took the initiative to sign us up,” she recalls.
Angelica also has very positive memories of the strong community she had growing up in public housing.
“Everybody was in the same situation, so you didn’t feel different. The people who worked in the office treated everyone kindly, and there were always activities we could take part in after school like gymnastics or karate. We could work on our homework or just hang out with our friends. As kids we were always together,” Angelica remembers fondly.
Knowing that her daughters were safe and taken care of while she worked was very reassuring for Antonia, and allowed her to focus on improving her skills so she could access better career opportunities and eventually achieve self-sufficiency.
Providing Encouragement and Hope
Antonia and Angelica both feel that their past experiences as residents help them connect with Opportunity Home clients they meet so they can approach them with compassion and mutual respect. They know that for some clients, Opportunity Home may be the only people they encounter who believe in them, encourage them and give them hope for their future.
Antonia expresses to her clients that they have the power to change their life for the better. She emphasizes the importance of taking the initiative and learning about all of the programs available, because that is what allowed her to rise above her challenges and achieve a better life for her family.
“I tell residents to meet with their property manager service coordinator and let them guide you. There are programs that will help you attend college and buy books. There are childcare programs, and there are many outside resources that we can refer you to. Go and find everything you can do and use the time in public housing to better yourself,” she comments.
Angelica also feels she is providing encouragement and hope for the clients she encounters in her role in the inspections department. She believes her job description goes beyond checking the physical structure, but is a demonstration to the residents that they deserve to live in a safe, clean, high-quality residence. Even though they have struggles, and may need assistance, they are still worthy of something good.
“I think that helps me with my job to sympathize with them, knowing that even little things make a big difference, like fixing the blinds or making sure that the air conditioning is working. Just making them feel like they’re worthy of that kind of care, because a lot of the tenants won’t even come to us to complain because they’re so scared to lose their home. They don’t understand that our program is here for them,” she says.
Changing the Narrative
Their background as former public housing residents and their roles at Opportunity Home give Antonia and Angelica an understanding of the obstacles families work to overcome to achieve a better future, but they know that stereotypes and negative perceptions still exist.
They would like to change the narrative about public housing residents, emphasizing that they work very hard to overcome obstacles and create a better life for their families. The supportive services offered give residents the opportunity to learn new skills to improve their career opportunities and income, and the strong sense of community provides a safe and welcoming place for families to thrive.
“I think a lot of people have a conception that public housing residents are lazy, or that they just aren’t trying to better their lives, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I mean, I saw my mom work very hard to get us where we’re at now. And thankfully we were able to become self-sufficient at a certain point, and we didn’t have to use the program. But if it wasn’t for the program, I can only imagine where my sisters and I would have been,” Angelica says.
Coming Full Circle
Antonia and Angelica’s journey from public housing residents to dedicated Opportunity Home staff members demonstrates the power of a strong community and supportive services in changing the trajectory of your life. Their experiences of overcoming challenges and memories of the compassionate care they received inspire them to pay it forward by supporting and advocating for the clients they serve.