by Katie Vasquez
Every day Jahzeela Aguilar heads to this Catholic Charities of New York satellite office, which is connected to St. Teresa Church on the Lower East Side.
The mom of twins helps the newly arrived as they get settled in the United States, offering them guidance that ranges from finding the right legal services to figuring out the subway system.
Not long ago, Aguilar was one of them.
“I had to help them, to give them all the resources, since they have to start from scratch,” Aguilar said.
She arrived from Peru in January 2023 with her husband and children.
Aguilar said her political views endangered the life of her family.
“Threats begin to come to me and they mention my mother, they call me a traitor to the people,” Aguilar said.
All her belongings were sold within 10 days and they made the treacherous trip north.
As a devout Catholic, she believes God walked with her along the way.
“God has manifested himself in that journey, in this change that we have had in our lives,” Aguilar said. “He has manifested himself in many beautiful ways and I have had, I have had immediate responses.”
Life in a new country was not easy, Aguilar had to stay in two New York City shelters, but she leaned into her faith and was able to find an apartment in Yonkers.
“There was a lot of excitement, a lot of joy, because we felt that we were taking another step,” Aguilar said.
Also helping Aguilar along the way was Catholic Charities.
As she became more knowledgeable in how to navigate life as a new arrival, she found she could assist others making a similar journey.
Catholic Charities asked her to volunteer, knowing her expertise goes beyond the immigration system.
“It is amazing because she has the empathy to understand what they have been through,” said Luisa Fernanda Sandoval Cortes, senior case manager at Catholic Charities Community Services. “She knows how it is to cross the border. She knows how to be in those places.”
Aguilar hopes to receive her work permit soon, and she wants to continue volunteering, a role that has brought her joy.
“For me, it’s not just a job, as I say it’s my reason for living,” Aguilar said.