Fresvinda Arellano Toral is a founding figure at L’Estacion, the Wellspring Karitas program supporting a marginal community existing along the railroad tracks in Cuernavaca. When you meet her, you are immediately struck by her strength and compassion. “You ask me who I am? I am a woman who likes to move forward, despite the adversities I have faced along the way. I love to study, take workshops, and to help people.”

Fresvinda had six children, and five of those survive. She has ten grandchildren. “I originally came here in 1997 to help teach the children—professionally, I was trained as a kindergarten teacher. I no longer teach kindergarten, but I stayed because I love the people and their human warmth.”

Fresvinda explained that more than 100 years ago, a railroad was built to connect the state of Guerrero to Cuernavaca. Since the 1950s, people came in search of work, and they had no place to live except along the railroad tracks. Although the railroad closed in 1997, a large community still lives here, in marginal dwellings. Wellspring Karitas has built a community center here which has become a hub of community nurture and connection. “At the center, we feed children breakfast, we help the elderly, and we have groups of moms. They come here, talk, and tell us their problems. It is also a listening place for them.”

“It means so much to me to see the changes in the community because of
Wellspring Karitas’s presence. We are very grateful for the support through the breakfast program--nutrition is closely tied to education. Wellspring Karitas has been part of us and our lives. It has given us what we need to move forward. We also have the kindergarten thanks to Wellspring Karitas. This start on education has helped us raise good men and women. Not everything here is bad—we have professionals who have come out of kindergarten and who have come out of the community center. We have graduates, biologists, engineers, architects, teachers, nurses.”

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One part of the work that means a great deal to Fresvinda is the accompaniment of the elders in the community. This is a new program that the leaders of La Estacion created when they saw a need. Many of the elders have no one to care for them, and the women of the community center stepped up to do this. “Some of the elders, even though they have a number of children, are abandoned and left alone. Some have nothing to eat. When they get sick, it becomes even harder. We had elderly
people here who died in difficult, unpleasant conditions. So, we now support them with medication, food, bathing, changing their diapers, and helping them live and die with dignity. This is what the community did.”
 

When asked about the greatest change she has seen, she marvels at the changes and empowerment in the women themselves. “Women have empowered themselves a lot. We do not have the intense machismo we had before. Twenty-five years ago, they were beaten, but now they speak up and make changes in their lives and in the lives of their families. They know they are valued. They have participated in self-esteem and human development workshops, crafts, bakery. Some decided to empower themselves to sell what they made. Many have left the project and seek to create a better environment for their families in another community. This is transformational.”
 

Yet some threats are growing. “Currently, national and state-level violence is
destroying our youth. It hurts us to see how the children we saw grow up are now involved in drugs or have died. I don't want to say that we have failed, but it impacts us a lot.”

“My hope is that we can do more programs or join with the government and create programs for children in order to strengthen families from the beginning. My hope is that children can see a different environment and have more opportunities. Many families cannot leave. Their heritage is here--and their home. I dream of offering alternatives like more workshops, more football, more basketball, musical instruments, reading workshops. Using the reading room, the football field, maybe helping more children in the community center to form a coalition. We need to get involved in the community and not just stand on the sidelines.

“It is so important to give all people—youth, women, and the elderly—a voice, and a place where they matter and are listened to. This is what Wellspring Karitas has done, and it changes our community every day.”