Claudia from Mexico City
The Backstory
In 2019, a few of us had the absolute pleasure of spending over a week with Claudia in Mexico City. We were there to film her as she hosted people from all over the world, sharing hundreds-year-old family recipes and stories of the healing principles of pre-Hispanic food. Not only did she greet all of us with familial warmth, she inspired us with her generosity, empathy, and sheer willpower. She told us then that she was truly thriving for the first time in many, many years: happy, healthy, providing for her family, and doing what she loves the most by sharing culture through food.
The pandemic has been difficult on all of us, and millions have lost their livelihood. Claudia is one of them. With no international travelers to Mexico City and her source of income on hold, she has struggled deeply to stay afloat over the past 18 months. Now, she’s on the verge of losing so much more.
Claudia’s loss of income has left her family struggling, and the father of her children—a wealthy man with an allegedly violent track record and no previous interest in being a father—is now seizing the moment. He’s using his political ties to the court system and trying to strip custody away from her. If she can’t prove immediate financial stability, she’s in danger of losing her children.
As we verge on the reopening of travel, Claudia’s source of consistent income is on the horizon. We’re hoping to rally around this inspiring woman and help her heal during this challenging time—in the way she puts her whole spirit into healing others.
If we raise money on behalf of Claudia and her family, she will be able to provide shelter for her family for another year. This would also enable her to keep custody of her children. She returns to the courts on Friday June 11th, 2021.
We’ve shared a few of our favorite moments with Claudia here, hoping you see why she’s worth fighting for during this time.
Please join us.
Khoi, Michael, and Christian
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