A Place of Healing and Hope: Lessons From My Three-Year-Old and the Youth Resource Center
/Written by Katrina Tamez, Grants Manager
As a young mother and grant manager at New Friends New Life, my work and my personal life often feel deeply connected. Recently, my three-year-old daughter reminded me just how powerful that connection can be.
One day, she noticed that I was feeling overwhelmed, from juggling work, motherhood, and the many emotions that come with both. She looked at me with her big, compassionate eyes and said, "Mommy, take a deep breath." In that moment, I was reminded how even the smallest voices can hold such profound wisdom.
She learned that simple but powerful coping skill from the little mindfulness moments we practice together at home. It struck me that the same skills she is beginning to learn are exactly what the young people at our Youth Resource Center (YRC) are working to build every day.
The YRC isn’t just a place to access food, clothes, or academic help; it’s a place where girls learn to heal. Through trauma-informed therapy, they develop the same essential coping tools: how to breathe through difficult feelings, recognize their emotions, and respond to challenges in healthier ways. For many, these skills are life-changing, empowering them to reclaim a sense of control and begin to envision a future beyond the pain they’ve experienced.
Working at New Friends New Life has shown me the incredible power of wraparound support. Our staff and volunteers wrap each young person in a circle of care, empowering them to build resilience and rediscover their worth. We measure success in milestones big and small: a high school diploma earned, a poem written in therapy, a smile that wasn’t there before. Each one is proof that when a community comes together to uplift its most vulnerable members, transformation is possible, and every step forward is a victory worth celebrating.
I am proud to lend my voice and my pen to support this work. The YRC is more than a place; it is a testament to what love, resources, and dedicated advocacy can achieve. As a mother, I hold close the reminder that every child deserves a chance to thrive. As a grant manager, I am honored to help make that possible every single day. I encourage you to explore the different ways that you can offer your talents, experiences, and resources to advance this mission of restoring and empowering survivors. Together, we can continue to create a world where every young person has the opportunity to heal, grow, and thrive… one deep breath at a time.
