For the first time since they’ve arrived in the United States, Nicholas and Andrea felt relief.
A few short weeks ago, the couple and their 6-year-old daughter fled their home in Venezuela. With food insecurity looming in the country and violence on the rise, the couple made the brave leap that many immigrants do when they leave behind everything they’ve known. They packed up what little they could bring and came to America.
“It was really terrifying leaving everything, but we knew we had to do it,” said Nicholas.
In their proactive process of getting connected with the right resources, they found Marisol Family, a ministry of Catholic Charities of Denver that offers basic necessities for families with young children needing clothing, diapers and baby supplies.
They arrived at Marisol Family St. James Parish location in Denver hoping to get some basic clothes for their daughter to wear at her new school. What they did not expect, however, was the surprise of a giant unicorn that was stashed away for just the right family to come along. The unicorn was a sign of hope for the small family.
“My daughter was so sad that she had to leave a similar unicorn back home in Venezuela,” said Andrea as she held tears back. “This is truly a gift from God.”
The two couldn’t wait to show up to their daughter’s school to surprise her with the large welcoming gift to the country and her new clothes. They were grateful for one less expense they would have to worry about.
“For now, we are taking everything moment by moment, and right now we are just so grateful for this moment. I look forward to telling my daughter the story of how we came to America and cried when we saw a giant unicorn,” said Nicholas.