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Success Stories
Maribel Gonzalez left Puerto Rico in September 1999 to find a better life in Connecticut. Gonzalez was a nurse in Puerto Rico and has used the Salvation Army’s Central PARK (Parent Attended Recreation for Kids) computer lab to study for her nursing certification.
By Dawn Caminiti
©2003 Republican-American
WATERBURY — As a young girl in Puerto Rico, Maribel Gonzalez wanted to work as a nurse.
She would follow the school nurse around, envisioning a day when she would wear the same white uniform.
Years later, she went to work for a public hospital. But at $7 an hour, money was tight and she wanted to provide her family with more.
So, with her husband and child, she took off for Connecticut, confident that she would find work at a hospital. She didn't.
Her nursing certification in Puerto Rico was not recognized in Connecticut, and she would need to pass a national exam to practice nursing in the state.
Still learning English, Gonzalez just failed her first attempt at the exam. But she didn't give up.
She turned to the state for financial assistance until she could support herself. The state Department of Labor suggested she work in a factory, but she refused. She wanted the chance to study and retake the exam. So she was referred to Laura Batista, a caseworker for The Salvation Army in Waterbury.
The Salvation Army is one of 34 agencies in the Greater Waterbury Area financed by the United Way. Each year the United Way collects money for the many programs and agencies it supports.
"People come with an expectation because of our reputation," Batista said.
The agency offers many goods and services, including furniture and clothing, a food pantry, a shelter, mental health assistance and child guidance. In addition, it networks with other agencies in the area to provide services it does not offer.
The agency's priority is to help its clients explore their options and give them what they want and need.
When Batista met with Gonzalez, she immediately noticed her passion for nursing. She set her up in the agency's computer lab, Central P.A.R.K., short for Parent Attended Recreation for Kids.
Microsoft donated its six computers. The lab gives parents an opportunity to use computers and have their children nearby. The computers also have children's programs on them.
"I was so happy when I was here (in the lab) because I had the opportunity to have my child with me," Gonzalez said. She needs a computer to study for the nursing exam.
Batista is happy to see mothers come in to use the lab, because she knows that The Salvation Army is providing them with a service they can't find elsewhere.
The lab is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Many people use the lab, she said, including people from shelters, students and clients from other programs .
Gonzalez was one of the first to use the lab, and she quickly became a regular. She came in early every day with her young children, her study materials and her determination. She would spend hours in front of the computer screen preparing for the test. "I would just keep saying to myself, 'I know I will, I know I will,' " Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez is off state assistance now. She took on a part-time job as a bilingual tutor and does not study as much as she did when she first came to The Salvation Army, but she is confident that she will pass her test when she retakes it in a few months.
To donate to the United Way, call 757-9855. To make a donation to The Salvation Army, call 754-7056.
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