Daniela Marquez, Family Navigator
Twenty years ago, Daniela Marquez and her family migrated from Mexico to Taos. Daniela was two years old – and as she grew, she watched her mother attempt to navigate the U.S. social services system and obtain resources for her family.
By the time she was 13, Daniela was facilitating these interactions, translating for her mother at parent-teacher conferences and the grocery store and conducting internet research in order to determine how her family – and many others – could access education, housing, and other key supports.
Following high school, Daniela spent three years working at a community credit union, helping immigrants navigate the complexities of an unfamiliar banking system and attempt to establish financial stability.
In other words, Daniela was already a family navigator before she arrived at Las Cumbres’ Santuario del Corazón program – and transitioning to the agency, she says, was “the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Today, Daniela’s serves 18 families per week as a Family Navigator for Las Cumbres. She helps clients enroll their children in school, obtains Social Security cards and other key documents from government agencies, tutors students throughout the Taos Municipal School system, makes appointments and accompanies clients to visits with medical and behavioral health services, provides rides to the grocery store or the laundromat, and more.
She offers a vivid example of how Santuario del Corazón makes a tangible difference in clients’ lives.
“I have one client who’s 23, a single mom with a one-year-old. She’s an immigrant from Mexico, and she doesn’t have any family she can rely on here. She often had to take off work to take care of her daughter, and she was getting ready to return to Mexico. She came to me and said, ‘Daniela, I’ve tried everything, and the only person I can trust is you.’”
Daniela jumped in and applied to the Early Childhood Education and Care Department’s Child Care Assistance program on her client’s behalf. She obtained funding and got her client’s daughter enrolled in daycare. “The client came into the office and gave me a huge hug. She told me that her only other support was in Mexico – and that I was now her support system.”
Daniela delivers this same care and consideration to all of her clients. “I start my week by calling each of my clients and asking how I can best connect with them and support them as we take the next steps toward their goals. For some, it’s texting. For others, it’s a phone call. I visit others at their homes, and others come here to the office.” Daniela wants her clients to know that she’s working with their schedules – that she’s here to serve them.
“When my family arrived here, my mom didn’t have this kind of support. It makes me feel good to be able to help other families – easing their stress, finding financial stability, integrating into the community, being more present to their children, and achieving more wellbeing.”
Daniela is also quick to point out that Santuario’s support for clients doesn’t automatically end when they’ve achieved their goals. “Just because you’ve been discharged doesn’t mean we can’t help you again. If you ever need assistance in the future, come back and we can help you.”
In addition to Daniela, Las Cumbres’ Santuario del Corazón program staff includes two more full-time Family Navigators and one part-time Navigator – as well as five therapists and a program director. Program staff provide services across much of Northern New Mexico, including Taos, Española, and Santa Fe.