Meet Citlali - The Power of Teamwork in Our Community
In 8th grade, Citlali visited the University of Central Florida and began to dream of going to college there. She was a good student and the oldest of 4 siblings, but her life has not been void of hardships. Her stepfather, whom she had lived with most of her life, was abusive to her mother and to the children. When she was fourteen, the violence escalated and her stepfather was removed from the home. Shortly after this, her mother was hit by a car and airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. Her mother was hospitalized for a period of time and Citlali not only wore the hat of “student and child” but also “caregiver and emotional support” for her siblings.
Her mother recovered, returned home and gave her life to Christ. Citlali mastered her last piece of emotional recovery: letting go of her anger at God for all of her hardships. She felt set free. Citlali completed her associates degree at Miami Dade Community College and has recently started her journey to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality from UCF.
There is no better example of Wellspring teaming up with other organizations to come alongside a family for support, healing and fulfilling dreams, than the story of Citlali.
KIX, a Youth for Christ, after-school program that provided consistent support and a safe place for Citlali and her siblings
Her church home Branches and KIX provided meals and helped in numerous ways as her mother recovered
Wellspring's BOUNCE! Trauma Resolution Camp that gave her the tools to handle hard situations and to be a positive influence on her siblings as they struggled through these dark times
Rebecca, her Wellspring Counselor, who gave her a safe place to process all of the deep emotions that she was encountering
I hope you will take the time to hear her full story in her own words and marvel at this remarkably strong young woman and at how God works to bring healing though the faithful teamwork of His people.
This week's podcast episode:
Listen as Citlali shares how our community impacted her life during some of her darkest moments. She is interviewed by Tova Kreps, LCSW and Yasamin Shamloo, RMHC.