“We lived in Cuba. Cuba has a totalitarian regime. My wife is a doctor, and they wanted to force her to go to Venezuela on a mission. She got pregnant with our girl, and they do not allow pregnant women, so since then, our life got complicated. Over there if you do not cooperate with the system, they exclude you, and this includes not only us but also my father-in-law in his job, in our neighborhood, in the school. So, there came a time where it was hard to stay there, so we had to come over here.

We initially came to Catholic Charities to receive food. We also got enrolled for food stamps [SNAP]. It has benefited us. It has been good.

Since we have gotten here, Catholic Charities has been the first to extend their hand to us. We know about all the current problems with a lot of people coming to the United States. It is very difficult, but it is very good. When you get in, you basically come here with nothing but your family. It is very important when someone extends their hand to you and opens their door. When we got here, you gave us food. This was a very good help, and that is something to be thankful of. How we have been treated has always been very good.”

Diego and his family have been in the United States since May 2021. With the support of the Family Stability Program, they have been able to start a new life away from the persecution they faced in Cuba.