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By TRACIE WHITE / Special
to the Mercury News
roxana
Valverde is doing her best to start over.
But it's tough going back to school as a single mom with two kids,
one still in diapers. Homework gets done in the evenings -- after
the laundry, grocery shopping, parent/ teacher conferences, medical
appointments and whatever else she needs to do for her family.
"It's been challenging going back to school,'' says Valverde, 32,
sitting on a couch at home, 16-month-old Jacen sucking on a pacifier,
snuggled in her arms. Her oldest, JR, 9, plays outside in the courtyard.
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JR plays on the playground slide with neighbor Shannon Galbraith,
10, in the courtyard of Depot Commons.
(Anne-Marie
McReynolds / Mercury News)
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Valverde clearly has risen to the challenge, even with some bumps
along the way.
Just a year and a half ago, nine months pregnant, she was abandoned
by her then live-in boyfriend and laid off from her job.
No longer able to afford the apartment, she moved back in with
the grandparents who raised her, but she knew that was not a long-term
solution. Still, she pressed forward and got herself back in school.
Today, she's proud to say she's a graduate, with honors, of the
Silicon Valley College certified pharmacy technician program. Her
3.5 GPA gives her something to smile about.
"Finally, I'm showing my son more responsibility,'' she says.
With help from South County Housing, Valverde has a home at Depot
Commons in Morgan Hill, a low-income housing development designed
to help single parents make a fresh start while supporting each
other.
At Depot Commons, a cluster of four houses is home to a dozen
small families in an innovative setup based on a European model.
Each family has its own private bedroom and bath upstairs, while
the downstairs living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms and study areas
are shared spaces. There is a day care center in one of the houses.
When Valverde moved into the space her family is sharing with another
woman and her 11-year-old son, she enthusiastically scoured the
place, then hung family photos in the hallway and decorated with
a few candles.
"Money's tight, but we have a place to live,'' says Valverde. "We
feel proud of where we live. This place makes me feel better about
myself. It gives me confidence that I'm a strong person, that I
can do it.''
And she is. JR is doing well in school, and Valverde just completed
a paid internship for honor students at Valley Medical Center. Next,
she plans to find a permanent job. In the fall, she hopes to return
to school to become a nurse or a surgical technician.
While she and the kids are safe and secure, there are a few things
that would make life easier. A computer ($500)
would allow Valverde and JR to do school work at home. And bookshelves
($100)
would help JR and Jacen make the most of small-space living.
Shared areas at all of the Depot Commons houses would be more comfortable
for these struggling single-parent families with benches for the
front and back porches ($200
each) and outdoor children's toys ($500).
A computer ($500)
and desk with a sturdy task chair ($350)
in each study area would be put to good use. And gift cards ($25
each) would go toward pots, pans and dishes.
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