YWCA Helps Women Reach Their Dream

As an immigrant and a single mom, Cecilia Arosemena has a story that is familiar to many in our community. What makes it unique is the two pound liver tumor the doctors found last year that she named “Big Fred.” Fred almost killed Ceci, but because of him she knows that nothing will ever deter her from a dream. Ceci said, “When I woke up at the hospital after the surgery, I was thirsty, blurry, but awake. That’s when I realized, I am alive! I remember thanking God for my life, my son, my beloved, my mother, my brother and the YWCA.”

Before Ceci went into surgery last fall, she was given a promise from YWCA Southern Arizona to grow her fresh raw juice business called “Dish For Dosha. It is based on an ancient 5,000 year old Indian healing tradition. She used that promise as a motivation to recover though her surgery with flying colors.
For the past few years Ceci had been making raw juices at home but being housed in the YWCA’s kitchen on Bonita Avenue has given her business a physical address where Ceci can consult with clients, offer pick up service and sell juices to restaurants in town like the YW Café and Renee’s Organic Oven. Now the Green Halo has plans to release Ceci’s juice line to 50 medical marijuana dispensaries around the state. She just hired her first employees.
“I am a different, more successful person,” Ceci says, “because people here at the YWCA have cared for me and helped me grow. [In addition to physical space to grow my business] they have given me hope, support, food, clothes, education, a computer lab and a platform to stand on.”
Ceci wants everyone to have the same opportunity she’s had to reach for her dreams. Together with the YWCA she has created a pilot program called the Dream Development Alliance to help other immigrant women who are attending the YWCA’s workforce development program called Mi Carerra.They held their first Dream Retreat last week with 36 women attending.
The YWCA Southern Arizona offers a variety of workforce development programs, training and counseling for entrepreneurs (both men and women) through the Women’s Business Center and, through their Latina Leadership Initiative, they offer programs to help Spanish speaking women achieve personal and professional goals. The YW has been serving the Tucson metropolitan area since 1917. For more information visit www.ywcatucson.org or call 520-884-7810.