On October 12, 2014 I'll be running the Chicago Marathon, and my motivation to make it to the finish line again this year is the fact that I'm running to benefit Taller de José, a community resource center in Little Village, Chicago. I've been accompanying clients at Taller de José since August 2011, and the mission has become very near and dear to my heart. Will you accompany me along the journey to run for those I serve?

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Why I Run


I've never kept a blog before, but since I decided to keep one during my marathon training, I figured that the day of my first double-digit run was an appropriate day to start. It's hard to imagine running more than twice my 10-mile run all in one day, but I would have said the same thing on my first 5-mile run; the body's ability to recover and grow stronger is pretty incredible! But enough about training. I promised myself (and anyone who happens to read) that I wouldn't bore you with all the gory training details. Instead, I really want to focus on Taller de José, the organization I've been fortunate enough to be a part of for the past year. 

Since Taller de José opened its doors in September 2008, it has been serving as a community resource center in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. Little Village is a predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood, and although it has a vibrant culture and entrepreneurial spirit, it also has very high rates of poverty and violence. The founders of Taller de José sought to respond to the high level of need they witnessed in the neighborhood, and the conclusion they came to after many conversations in the community was that people were unable to connect with the resources already available to them. Thus, Taller de José, (“Joseph’s Workshop” in English) was founded to give individuals the tools needed to meet their most pressing needs. The unique part of Taller is that it achieves these goals by offering services of accompaniment. Sometimes that means: listening to clients’ stories and offering emotional support; explaining and filling out forms that come in the mail; calling other social service agencies and helping them with the language barrier; or, very often, it means actually physically accompanying them to court, the doctor, the social security office, or a wide variety of other places. I’ve been with clients at their interviews to receive permanent residency status in the United States, at court when they learned they’ve been granted an Order of Protection against a long-term abuser, and at the doctor when they’ve had a much-needed surgery or diagnostic appointment. I have learned much more than I ever expected to know about the City of Chicago and the social service network that keeps it afloat.

I’ve been blessed to work at Taller de José for the past 11 months, and now I am looking forward to making an even greater contribution through my marathon fundraising efforts. I hope that recalling and relating my client stories will help give me the motivation to keep training, and hopefully you’ll enjoy reading them as well. One of the best parts of working at Taller is the wonderful community the staff has formed, and I know that I wouldn’t have been able to serve my clients without their advice, input, and support (and there are 2 other staff members, one former compañera, and the board president/co-founder running the marathon this year!) I know they will be a big support during my training, but I also really appreciate any prayers, thoughts, or advice you can throw my way! Thanks for accompanying me along the journey to the finish line (cheesy blog posts and all J)!