Sustaining the Ramirez Sisters
Donation protected
Karen and Greta are the only two daughters of Alicia and Heriberto Ramirez. Born in Mexico, Karen and Greta came to the US with their parents when they were very young and lived most of their life in a mobile home in Des Plaines, Illinois. Karen graduated from Elk Grove High School in 2010 and Greta is now in the 10th grade. The family was extremely poor. Alicia supported the family by working at a fast food restaurant. Heriberto was unemployed.
On February 14, 2011 (Valentine’s Day), Karen left the mobile home she shared with Greta and her parents at 530 am to travel to her job in Chicago. After she left, the parents, Alicia and Heriberto, began fighting in front of Greta. Greta, then 9 years old, watched as the argument became physical and Heriberto overpowered Alicia and forced her into a bathroom in the mobile home. Heriberto stabbed Alicia 34 times in the bathroom while Alicia screamed for help and pleaded for him to stop.
Little Greta heard her mother’s cries from outside the bathroom. She ran to the bedroom and bravely dialed 911, telling dispatchers that “Daddy is hitting mommy.” As she was on the call, Heriberto came into the room and discovered Greta on the phone. Greta hung up the phone in fear, but dispatchers dispatched patrol cars to the mobile home anyway. When the police knocked on the door, Heriberto answered and denied that anything was wrong. But Greta appeared behind her father in the doorway and alerted the officers that her mother was hurt. Police barged in, found Alicia amidst a bloody scene in the bathroom, and arrested Heriberto.
Thus, Karen and Greta were effectively orphaned that day, losing both a mother and a father in less time than it took for Karen to travel from Des Plaines to her job in Chicago that morning.
As you might imagine, the girls’ lives have been fundamentally transformed by the events of February 14, 2011. Whereas Karen previously was a teenager approaching 20 and thinking of college, she has now been thrust into the role of mother for her younger sister. Even as she continues to mourn for her mother (and father), Karen has been forced to grow up quickly to learn and execute the role of mother. Karen is learning on the fly, but she has done a good job so far by, among other things, providing emotional love and nurturing support to her Greta, ensuring that Greta gets to school on time and gets home from school safely, has food to eat, is taken to counseling appointments, is taken for medical checkups at a free health clinic, and is supervised when she is at home.
But despite her commitment and hard work, Karen is experiencing tremendous financial pressure to provide the most basic necessities like food and shelter for Greta. Although she can work legally in the US, the general state of the economy and Karen’s need to be home by about 5 pm to take care of Greta after school have conspired to make it difficult for her to find full-time employment. As a result, Karen works whatever jobs she can find to make money to pay the rent and purchase food, picking up hours here or a temporary assignment there. The result is that Karen and Greta are literally living hand to mouth.
For these reasons, the Ramirez girls are a wonderful choice if you are considering some charitable giving this holiday season. Please consider helping them.
On February 14, 2011 (Valentine’s Day), Karen left the mobile home she shared with Greta and her parents at 530 am to travel to her job in Chicago. After she left, the parents, Alicia and Heriberto, began fighting in front of Greta. Greta, then 9 years old, watched as the argument became physical and Heriberto overpowered Alicia and forced her into a bathroom in the mobile home. Heriberto stabbed Alicia 34 times in the bathroom while Alicia screamed for help and pleaded for him to stop.
Little Greta heard her mother’s cries from outside the bathroom. She ran to the bedroom and bravely dialed 911, telling dispatchers that “Daddy is hitting mommy.” As she was on the call, Heriberto came into the room and discovered Greta on the phone. Greta hung up the phone in fear, but dispatchers dispatched patrol cars to the mobile home anyway. When the police knocked on the door, Heriberto answered and denied that anything was wrong. But Greta appeared behind her father in the doorway and alerted the officers that her mother was hurt. Police barged in, found Alicia amidst a bloody scene in the bathroom, and arrested Heriberto.
Thus, Karen and Greta were effectively orphaned that day, losing both a mother and a father in less time than it took for Karen to travel from Des Plaines to her job in Chicago that morning.
As you might imagine, the girls’ lives have been fundamentally transformed by the events of February 14, 2011. Whereas Karen previously was a teenager approaching 20 and thinking of college, she has now been thrust into the role of mother for her younger sister. Even as she continues to mourn for her mother (and father), Karen has been forced to grow up quickly to learn and execute the role of mother. Karen is learning on the fly, but she has done a good job so far by, among other things, providing emotional love and nurturing support to her Greta, ensuring that Greta gets to school on time and gets home from school safely, has food to eat, is taken to counseling appointments, is taken for medical checkups at a free health clinic, and is supervised when she is at home.
But despite her commitment and hard work, Karen is experiencing tremendous financial pressure to provide the most basic necessities like food and shelter for Greta. Although she can work legally in the US, the general state of the economy and Karen’s need to be home by about 5 pm to take care of Greta after school have conspired to make it difficult for her to find full-time employment. As a result, Karen works whatever jobs she can find to make money to pay the rent and purchase food, picking up hours here or a temporary assignment there. The result is that Karen and Greta are literally living hand to mouth.
For these reasons, the Ramirez girls are a wonderful choice if you are considering some charitable giving this holiday season. Please consider helping them.
Organizer and beneficiary
Friends and Family
Organizer
Chicago, IL
Karen Ramirez
Beneficiary