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 Isabel
SOL Lead Precinct Walker,
Orange County, California
"People do not think their voice will be heard.
Today Isabel is mom and grandmother. She works as a janitor. And after work, she is a leader in her community. "I want to wake people up" she says with a grin.
Isabel came from a small rural Mexican town. "The poverty was intolerable." She often went to school with no food in her stomach and no shoes on her feet.
In 1994, she could no longer endure the poverty. Now married for a second time, she wanted to begin life anew. "I wanted my children to become educated, to have a career, to have a better life."
She left behind the family she loved. "I cried as never before." She came with her new husband, staying with family that had come years before.
She had not imagined staying. She hoped to earn enough to return to Mexico and start a small business. Once here she could not bring herself to go back.
Isabel lives a modest life. Her family owns a small condo. She and her husband both work hard. Isabel first worked taking care of aging seniors, she now cleans posh office buildings.
"We have a little, but this would not have been possible in Mexico." Her family has earned enough to send the oldest children to universities. Today one is a teacher, the other a dentist.
She has high aspirations for her three youngest children. "They will do something big" she boasts. But she hopes that they will never forget who they are, the sacrifices her family has made. "I tell them to be proud."
She has worked for SOL now for several elections. This fall she is now a lead, overseeing a team of precinct walkers. "I could not do this without my husband." He watches the children while she goes door to door to talk to voters.
Often enough, she finds that people have given up. "People do not think their voice will be heard." Through SOL she can make a connection with people. Her enthusiasm is contagious.
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