As one of nine siblings raised by my grandparents, I grew up dependent on the same community resources I now help others access. 

My name is Andrew Rivas, and I am a Community Support Advocate at CPLC’s Help New Mexico Program. I hesitate to admit it, but sometimes I lack compassion for the clients who come into our office seeking access to the same resources that once helped my family.   

It’s easy to forget the day-by-day struggles many families experience just trying to make ends meet.  

Especially when you’ve made it and the past feels so far behind you. 

Then someone comes through your door and reminds you of where you came from and the struggles you faced.  

Charlotte was an 89-year-old woman from Farmington, New Mexico. When she first came into our office, she was angry, frustrated, and just plain tired.  

And when she took it out on me, it made me not want to help her. 

But then Charlotte told me her story of how she became homeless, and I immediately understood. I felt horrible.  

How could I have been so insensitive?  

Everyone had given up on Charlotte—her family, her medical insurance, and the people who walked by her on the street where she slept.  

To make things worse, she suffered a second heart attack after feeling betrayed and abandoned by her family. With tears in her eyes, she said she did not know how much more she could take before her heart would just give out.  

I remember what it felt like to be abandoned when my parents left me to be raised by my grandparents. My heart broke for Charlotte. I wanted to show her I was a friend she could trust. 

She needed a place to call home. So, I helped her secure stable, subsidized senior housing. 

When I checked up on her six months later, she was taking better care of herself, eating healthy, and seeing the doctor. 

Her face was full of life, and she radiated positivity. 

She was a completely different person. 

I’m glad she’s doing better now. But her story reminds me of how easy it is to lose it all. 

And how much harder it is to get back up. 

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve accomplished. 

Like a former executive director told me after I helped her land a new job, “Sometimes, when you get to the top, you forget what it’s like to be at the bottom.” 

I made it out. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

And each person has a different story. 

Thankfully, I found my own success. 

Now, I am helping others find theirs.