Our “One-in-a-Kind” Mother Ambassador

Leticia Hernández joined our Parent Leadership program about two years ago. Our Family Support Coordinator Annie Camino-Klingener met her in one of the focus groups organized by the Community Foundation of Sarasota. At that meeting, Leticia made an impression on Annie: she showed up as a true leader. She was well-prepared, she spoke clearly about the needs of her neighborhood in Oneco, and she brought in questions from her neighbors who couldn't attend the meeting.

Ever since she joined UnidosNow, Leticia has been an active member in the group in spite of family hardships, and life challenges. She and her husband have five kids together; Leticia makes a living cleaning homes, and her husband is a roofer. Through hard work, they have purchased a trailer home in Palmetto, and have created a nice life for themselves and their family.

The UnidosNow team is very lucky to have Leticia in our Parent Leadership program. We can count on Leticia at any given time to volunteer. That is her second nature. It did not come as a surprise to us when we found out she was not only organizing a food drive, but also preparing hot meals and sandwiches for the migrant camp in Myakka affected by Hurricane Ian.

Leticia is a natural leader. After the hurricane left many nearby towns with floods and general devastation, she quickly started to let her neighbors and family members know about her plans. Through word of mouth, Leticia has collected non-perishable food, water, and other necessities. They travel in the evening in a "caravan style" and bring hot meals, sandwiches, and a smile to the hard-working people of the Myakka migrant camp, all of those farmworkers that keep on putting food in our tables.

In her own words: " I'm only doing what I'm supposed to do."