SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A new program is aiming to help migrant Latinas who face depression and loneliness while transitioning to the U.S. through workshops and community building.
Magnolias is the nonprofit that runs the program, and Edith Fuentes is the co-founder with direct ties to the cause.
"I'm also an immigrant, and when I came, I went through those feelings, and at the time, no one told me that they were normal or helped me," said Fuentes, who comes from decades of social work and works directly with migrant women in San Diego.
Fuentes said when migrants adapt to a new society and feel pain or stress, it's called "migration grief."
"You can't even start looking for a job or learning the language when your vitality is completely gone because your emotions are eating you alive because you feel so lost, alone, and sad," Fuentes added.
Fuentes noticed those feelings were amplified during the pandemic and knew something had to be done or created.
That's when she created the 12-week program under the Magnolias umbrella. The program includes workshops and community-building exercises hosted by local professionals, doctors, and therapists.
Nancy Robles is one of the participants. "I felt hugged and warm when I got here because I sat in a place with all of these women who were in the exact same situation as I was in. My feelings were understood, and no one else understood, but these women did," Robles said.
Fuentes said the program usually has a waiting list once the sign-ups begin. Later this year, she plans to add a virtual program so women locally and across the United States can participate.
