I Am Glad I Said Yes

Ivette Guillermo-McGahee with her husband and daughter (Picture taken 10 years ago)

Ten years ago, I decided to make a preferential option for the most vulnerable in my community. Just a year before Allies In Caring began, I had started my private practice with the idea of slowing down and making more space in my life to be with my then one-year-old daughter. I also wanted to build more meaningful relationships with my clients and integrate the principles that matter to me.

However, because I provided services in English, Spanish, American Sign Language, and Mexican Sign Language, my private practice quickly grew, and more people requested support than I could serve. Many came to me uninsured or unable to afford the therapy fees. I offered to hear their stories and find referrals, but most times, there were no affordable or language-accessible alternative resources. That's when my colleague Patti called me and offered to help me become a Medicaid provider for the Department of Children and Families. I said Yes to creating conditions for marginalized people to be supported to untap their gifts. That's when Allies In Caring began!

Patti called again to ask me to support LT, a Deaf youth with a great smile and incredible resourcefulness who had been displaced from his country after genocide and who had been abused and neglected. I said Yes to supporting more people to develop meaningful and enduring relationships. I said Yes to creating conditions where people could experience safety, personal power, value, and worth. I witnessed how these conditions transformed LT. He learned to manage his anger and stay out of trouble. He realized his dream of learning to drive and worked to save for a car.

I'm glad I said Yes to envisioning a new story life for LT and so many others. Over the past 10 years, I have continued to witness LT's unfolding; he is now a committed husband and father of two kids. For ten years, this and many other stories of hope have been possible through Allies In Caring thanks to the generosity of many people who share this vision. You, too, can join us to make new stories together.

We are celebrating our 10th anniversary on September 15, 2022. So please Save the Date! This event will be an excellent opportunity to learn about our services and programs, discover your untapped potential, and find out how you can offer your gifts to the community. More information about this event is here.