Idalia's Story: CityLink Center | Crossroads Church

I was born in Bronx, New York. My mom moved us down here in 1989, and I had taken away when I was three years old. By the time I was 18, I was in charge of different foster homes and one group home. I grew up a foster kid, and no one loved my mom or dad. They just treated me like they didn't have to care for me, like a parent should. I spoke about some abuse, and nobody believed me, and it kept me from getting adopted. They were telling people not to get close to me. My case worker told me, "If you turn 18 and you run away, we're not going to look for you." "You're scary." When I turned 18, I found my mom, but she wasn't in the right front of mine. She would throw me out, and I would have to be out here in the streets, and defend it by myself. I met my husband. I heard there was a gentleman at the park selling two-dollar corruptness. I happened to go to the park, and I saw him, and he was like, "You have a seat on that cooler. I'm going to marry you one day." Me and my husband got married when I was 21 and 2006. I was hard-headed. I would fight him when all he was trying to show me love, and made a heart on him. But what made me fall in love with him was seeing him not leaving, and that was something that I was used to people doing. For the first time in my life, I felt genuinely loved, and we went to Illinois to spend a year with his family. And that was the first time I experienced love from the family. My husband became sick during the pandemic. We were separated. We caught each other. We were staying in contact with each other.

I didn't know he had a stroke after delivering me an air conditioner. A couple months after, we reconciled and moved back in. Something pushed me out of bed, and I found him holding his chest. He had another stroke, plus a mini heart attack. So that meant I know it would call 9-1-1 right away. I just blessed to have him, because we lost a friend to having the second stroke right around the same time. When I was younger, I wanted to be a nurse. I was taking a half a day high school courses, then half a day nursing classes at the Russell League. The life happened, and I felt myself working past food. I really loved serving the people, but I didn't like the attitude. I was working at a restaurant. My co-worker had told me about sitting link in the courses they offered. My first impression of sitting link center was, "Wow, just feeling welcomed." I was like, "Yes, this is where I could be." My summer's current night is Emily Blake. My relationship with Emily, at first I was nervous, opened enough to someone I didn't know. But as I'd went, I would talk to her. She would give me scriptures to read, pray with me, something that I needed at that time. She referred me to get help, and now to this day I have telephone calls with my therapist. I part of the choice, my mental health, because I knew it was not only affecting me, but it was affecting my loved ones. I wanted a break from fast food, so I did it. I said, "This year was going to be the year that I do stuff different and uncomfortable." I chose culinary to further my degree, and I loved the class. I loved it. I have the experience when you go in to change to a chef code, and the experience of being actually in the kitchen, learning the niece and class, which is everything in its place,

the terminology, and how to cook on a professional stove, seeing my creations plated, and taking me home to my husband, and him just, "This is good." I loved Chef Hill. He is amazing, very impatient, because every time I was like, "Hey, can you repeat that?" And he never lost his goal, and all our patience. In the culinary training, I got to work one-on-one with Adalia as she was sharing her employment goals. Adalia is passionate. She leaves with her heart, and she is resilient. to me because making food and seeing people eat with my hands created, it brings me a lot of joy. Makes me happy. I love it. I go in with a smile. I'm happy. I'm able to provide for him a husband. That was a lot of worry on my chest before landing this good job. I've been working with Miss Michelle as smart money and the very first time I sat down and worked on my budget was eye-opening. I had no idea I was miss spending that much money on stuff that I really didn't like copy and now thanks to my new budget, I'm able to attend my first concert. Yeah, I'm really excited to know that. That's got PTO paid time off next month. I've never gotten there from any job because I stay long. I'm proud that me and my husband haven't been able to go see his mom since 2007. I feel really proud now that I could make a happen for him and me too because I need my mom on loan right now. As I look down the road in my future, I will be attending culinary courses at Cincinnati State. I want to go trick. I want to bring Puerto Rico here to Cincinnati. People already enjoy what I make and they bring them what I grew up eating. They will enjoy it more and I could use that as an educational tool as real because really broke my heart during the Super Bowl. Hearing people at work and I can be like, well, y'all talk to me and I'm Puerto Rico. Every Puerto Rican is American too. I feel like I'm seeing one of my people on stage. I finally understand what representation means. That's why I would love to bring a little bit of Puerto Rico here. I'm proud of my accomplishments. From hearing that I would never amount to nothing. So, I'm gonna be just like my mother. I feel good because I'm me and I'm doing it. I'm little blue. I feel like I have a purpose now.

[Music]