Lorena Carranza: From Client to Program Manager

She was a newlywed in a new country. And Lorena Carranza will tell you that the first year in America was hard. “Really hard,” actually.

“My husband had gotten a job in Sacramento, and so we moved here from Mexico,” she says. “As immigrants, we thought life would be easier in America than it was. It was expensive. There were times when we had nothing more than bread and tortillas for weeks.” 

On top of that, Lorena was pregnant with her first child—a daughter who was born with a health condition that kept Lorena busy with both worry and medical appointments. But as her daughter’s health improved, Lorena found herself with new dreams for her family and herself, including the hope of learning the English language. She found a flier for free classes at SFBFS. “I fell in love with the organization immediately.” 

So much so that she soon applied for and earned a job here, working her way through our organization, from an administrative assistant to the manager of our Parent Education Program to the manager of the CalFresh Program. Lorena makes it her mission to eliminate the stigma of asking for help, welcoming each person with a smile and empathy. “I am still that client who first came here asking for help. I never forget that.
All of us do what it takes to get the job done for our county.”