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Febreuary 26, 2021 Visit Our Web Site

Stories of Hope 

Where are they now? Edwin Cruz

Hope Street has been a part of Edwin’s life for as long as he can remember. As a six-year-old, he was too young to enroll but remembers sneaking into Hope Street with his older sister, who was in the After-school Program, and his parents, who attended English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. As soon as he was eligible, he enrolled and stayed until he graduated from high school.

At age 12, Edwin was selected for the Step into the Future program which enabled him to work as a teacher’s assistant in the child development center where he earned a monthly stipend of $91. According to Edwin, “This experience helped me get two of my jobs as a young adult. I was taught to step out of my comfort zone, take a leap of faith, and to use people around me as a resource.”

Hope Street holds a very special place in my heart. The staff would often come to our sports games and special events - on the weekends, late afternoons, no matter the time - they would try to attend. This meant so much to us since many of our parents couldn’t attend because they worked all day. It felt really good to have somebody there to cheer us on - something we weren’t really used to.”

Edwin works for the United States Postal Service as a Maintenance Mechanic and lives in Idaho with his wife and baby daughter who was born in December. On being a new dad, he says, “It's crazy how much you can love someone you’ve just met. I feel like the Grinch when his heart starts growing a few sizes! I love that little girl!” Edwin is also a pet parent with two terrier dogs, one Siberian Husky, and an African Grey Parrot.

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Hope Street Margolis Family Center
A program of Dignity Health - California Hospital Medical Center 
1401 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90015
213-742-6385 | chmcfoundation@dignityhealth.org