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A Local Mother’s Story: Why Your Donations Matter

La Colaborativa
May 24, 2021
Mothers with Children at LC library

Many of the mothers who attended the brunch had experienced hardships during the pandemic. One mother in particular came to La Colaborativa after being homeless for two weeks. She had run out of money and was desperately looking for a way to house and support her children.

We immediately put her in a hotel and during those 10 days, we worked with her to understand her housing transition options. She had lived in Chelsea her whole life and had struggled to find a shelter in the city because there are no shelters in Chelsea.

We immediately called DHCD (the Department of Housing and Community Development) and received no response. But we persisted and on the last day of her hotel stay, we were able to get in touch with someone who placed this mother in a shelter in Lynn, Massachusetts.

The case managers at La Colaborativa are still working to help her find a job that fits the schedule of raising her two children. In the meantime, we’ve connected her to resources to help her process her difficult situation.

This mother’s case is similar to many others who come to La Colaborativa for help, support and survival. Many undocumented immigrants who have lived in Chelsea their whole lives do not qualify for all shelters. With your continued donations, we’re helping families get into temporary housing and create realistic plans for transitioning into even better situations.

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Land Acknowledgment

At La Colaborativa, we believe that building a more just, equitable, and healthy future begins with recognizing the histories of the land and the communities that came before us, while confronting the systemic inequities that continue to shape our society today.

We acknowledge that La Colaborativa is located in Winnisimmet, now known as Chelsea, Massachusetts, on the ancestral and unceded homeland of the Massachusett People, whose deep connections to this land, culture, and community endure today.

We honor the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land for generations and recognize the lasting consequences of colonization, forced displacement, dispossession, and systemic injustice. These histories are not simply part of the past. Their legacies continue to influence access to land, housing, healthcare, education, economic opportunity, and the resources that allow individuals, families, and communities to thrive.

At La Colaborativa, we understand that health equity cannot be achieved without addressing the social determinants of health, the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.

Structural racism, poverty, housing instability, food insecurity, and barriers to education, employment, and healthcare disproportionately affect immigrant, Indigenous, and historically marginalized communities, perpetuating cycles of inequality across generations.

This understanding is at the heart of La Colaborativa's holistic, community-driven model. Our work recognizes that the challenges facing our communities are deeply interconnected and cannot be addressed in isolation. By integrating housing stability, food access, healthcare, workforce development, education, economic mobility, and community advocacy, we work to address the root causes of inequity, strengthen community resilience, and create pathways toward lasting social and economic opportunity.

Rooted in our mission of Levantando al Pueblo, we believe that meaningful change begins by centering the voices, experiences, cultural identities, and leadership of the communities most affected by systemic injustice. Just as we honor the resilience and enduring presence of Indigenous peoples, we recognize the strength of immigrant families and historically marginalized communities who continue to shape our collective future.

For us, a land acknowledgment is more than a statement of respect. It is a reminder of our responsibility to turn recognition into meaningful action, challenge the systems that perpetuate inequality, and advance a model of community well-being grounded in dignity, belonging, self-determination, and justice.

We offer this acknowledgment with respect and gratitude to the Massachusett People, their ancestors, elders, and present-day communities, and with a continued commitment to learning, solidarity, and building a future where every community has the resources, opportunities, and power to thrive.