Personal Biography:

"Equal Access"

I struggled with the place to start this story because so much has happened to me and to my family. I am an ambitious women with a good education and yet I found myself homeless with 4 children, unable to access basic services for lack of a telephone and an address. My children and I were denied education because we didn't meet criteria for enrolling in local schools and job training programs. The legislative climate in California for AFDC/TANF recipients was deplorable with demands on single parents to give up the care of their children to daycare facilities, taking minimum wage positions in order to continue receiving benefits that barely covered basic needs of food, shelter and medical care.

My life has run the gamut, from being homeless on the streets of Santa Cruz, to working for minimum wage in response to the Welfare to Work legislation, from working with ALL the local agencies that provide access to housing, food, education and job skills training, to going to school full-time and working part-time while raising my family, and finally to basic self-sufficiency. I was blessed to keep my family intact while being asked to perform all the duties required by the agencies that helped us to self sufficiency.

This is History. Now Fast Forward.

The first time I met Grandma Sue I was living in Beach Flats in Santa Cruz CA. I was struggling to make ends meet with 4 children on welfare and she offered us a bag of food with a little wisdom. "Take good care of your children and make sure you take good care of yourself." Through her guidance I was able to become self-sufficient and bring myself and family out of the circumstances that so many families find themselves in here in California. I was able to write a grant and host the Blaine Street Kids Club and Parent Co-op in response to unmet needs in the community for children and parents. Today I am an Advisory Board Member at Grandma Sue's Community Project providing assistance to working people desiring to acheive self-sufficiency.

The first time I saw a personal computer was in the back of a small grocery store in Houston. It was in a little ante room and I asked permission to use it after work. I was 40 years old and had never used or even seen a personal computer. Today I am employed by the University of California, Santa Cruz as a Payroll/Personnal Coordinator. I have been trained to use PC's and MAC's and work in any one of a number of systems that need special access and training. I am also self-employed with a small dot.com business run from my home. My children are typical techno savvy young adults in highschool using technology in their everyday lives at school and home.

My personal and professional goals are intrinsicly woven into the fabric of my story, my family and my community. My passion and commitment are focused into assisting people provide basic neccessities for their families, attain any educational goals they may have and I believe that accessing technology is a key component in acheiving sustainable success.

It is an honor and priveledge to join The Community Technology Foundation of California in the Zero-Divide Fellowship.