By the Light of the Moon

1/26/2017

Living in beautiful Half Moon Bay reminds us of the power of nature. When we look up to see the light of the full moon cover our community, we recognize that we are all live under the same moon. Recently one of our students shared a special story with me during a time she was talking about her future and how hard she is working to make sure she gets good grades to reach her dream of going to college. In her story, she shared this special memory..."When my mom was little and lived in Mexico, she really wanted to learn and study. But of course it was hard, they lived a hard life and in the evenings they didn't have electricity in their home, so she would go outside to read her book by the light of the moon" She shared that this story keeps her going in school, even when its challenging.
She always remembers that her mom never reached her dream of finishing her education and this has pushed her to be determined, to be strong and to remember the beauty of her culture. "When I am in ALAS I feel that I am home, that I can be me, it's who I am and we are like family".
As I listened to her, I was reminded of the power of community and the collective power we have to grow and heal together. This Christmas in Half Moon Bay we celebrated our first community Posada, where together all cultures gathered together to journey with one another, walking side by side, recognizing the humanity in each of us. As we walked, a bright moon and its rays covered all of us. For that moment, we celebrated as one- under the same moon. Tonight in one part of the world, the light of the moon shines bright for someone to read and learn, for us at ALAS the moon is a reminder of our collective ability to change a child's life and be a light in our community.

Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga

Belinda is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California and Founder of A.L.A.S. She also is Faculty at the University of San Francisco, where she teaches in the Counseling Department. She has a doctorate in International and Multicultural Education. Her research is focused on the psychological trauma experienced by many in the immigration system as well as understanding healing spaces in the Latino community.

Community Testimonio

"For me ALAS is family, they have helped us to be connected to one another, to be proud of our culture and to find help when we need support. ALAS has given me hope and has been there for my us, Thanks to God for all those that help make this possible for us."

"On behalf of my family, thank you. Thank you very much. We cannot express how much you have support us during this difficult time. Not only do you help Latinos dream, but you also give us THE WINGS to stand up when we feel down. Thank you very much."

"We have been very grateful to receive alas' services and help, so much or little it is a great relief during this time."