Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Espinoza.
Hi Andrea, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in LA but raised in Honduras. When I returned to the US, I started to understand my privilege- I did not have to go through the terrible journey that many face today. But I also knew what it was like to live in fear as my mom and brothers were undocumented. I never want to forget where I came from, and I have a strong desire to give back to my community. Through my work with Team Libertad, I can help offer the warm welcome that everyone should receive. Sadly, so many people are treated like criminals for seeking safety and pursuing what we all want- a better life. Team Libertad helps me demonstrate that there are kind, compassionate, and welcoming people who are glad they are here.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. We tend to suffer in silence. My mom tried her best to put shoes on my feet, a roof over our heads, and warm food. She never made my siblings, and I feel the level of poorness we lived in Honduras. She oppressed the fear of not having a legal status in this country. I recall my mother being unable to drive me to school, the grocery store, or the doctor, let alone a place of entertainment. Growing up with English as a second language categorized me and decreased my chances of higher education. I would advocate for myself and spend the first two weeks in the counseling office fixing my schedule from ESL to advanced classes every year after the 4th grade. It did not stop until I graduated high school. At some point in my life, I did not want to speak Spanish anymore- double identity shakes your core. Now, I embrace my well-written and spoken Spanish and help others along the way.
We’ve been impressed with Team Libertad/Inspiritus, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Team Libertad values compassion for people seeking Asylum in the US who have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The organization strives to offer a welcoming presence and helpful hand to those released from Stewart Detention Center at the Atlanta Airport as they travel to the homes of friends and family across the US. Cool! But what do we do? We hand out Hygiene kits, water, food and snacks, bookbags, clothes, phone chargers, and loaner phones so our friends can contact their families. We help family and friends purchase plane tickets, print boarding passes, navigate TSA, and help our travelers get to their gates. Team Libertad branched out of three other organizations, El Refugio, Paz Amigos, and Casa Alterna. Team Libertad became its entity in 2022 and is now a program of Inspiritus.
Team Libertad would not be where it is without the endless support and dedication of our Lead Coordinators, also known as Team Libertads OG’s, Daphne Hall, Jan Rivers, Karen Petterson, Connie Rose, Amy Bailey, Suzie Jacobs, Rebecca Raymer, Thomas Evans, Rosaytel Callejas, Emily Endara, Jennie Shover, Cristina Proano, Tancredo Rocha, former program coordinator Maggie Burgess Team Libertad’s director Alix Janke and all of our lovely volunteers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/team_libertad_atl
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/team_libertad_atl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teamlibertadatl/?paipv=0&eav=AfbRCvUSnYQZLoRIWkF7Wt5BHPwsGDFh2CfC4A7iLnbzodpkgJKUOXcICPxw5TaXGP4&_rdr
