Through this initiative, we are advancing the way we collect and share the voices of workers we serve. This initiative intends to develop a collection of interviews and professional images reflecting workers’ experiences. This interview is with Bridget Marquez, a Custodian at Denver Health. She has been with Denver Health for 8 years.
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On Her Background
“I am from Las Cruces, New Mexico. It’s on the south side of New Mexico. It is a very small, very hot, very deserty place. When we moved here to Denver. I was like, oh my goodness, we’re in Alaska.”
“I definitely miss it in Las Cruces.”
On Her Career
“I have been with Denver Health for 8 years and 12 days. I just had my eight-year anniversary.”
“It sounds a little funny, but I am passionate about what I do. It’s not an easy job, not everybody wants to clean up detox but it’s very rewarding because you see people go in there wanting to change their lives and end their addiction. Then you see them take that next step and get closer to their goal, being sober. It’s an awesome feeling. I know I’m not the treatment part of their recovery, but I try to make sure that they are in a clean environment. I like to keep things clean and the feeling that you’re not just doing a job, you’re doing some good for yourself and for others.”
On Her Free Time
“I like to spend time with my mother who lives with us and my four-year-old son. We have a little lake that’s in front of our apartment and we always go down there. It’s our little getaway. That’s where we spend most of our time if we’re not at home or if I’m not at work.”
On Her Challenges
“I lost my father 4 years ago. He had cancer in his lymph nodes. It escalated and happened very quickly. He was very healthy man, his whole life, a hard worker, he was the best mechanic, and my best friend.”
“He was always such a good father and took care of the three of us. It was always the three of us: my mom, him, and me. My mom and I took it very, very hard.”
“I now take care of the three of us and my mother takes care of my son for me at night. I am now the sole provider of the household. I was struggling financially since my dad passed away. It’s tough paying for everything.”
“I do it for my family and the life I want to give them.”
“WorkLife Partnership was my little bright light at the end of the tunnel.”
On Her Interactions with WorkLife Partnership
“I found out that WorkLife Partnership worked with Denver Health, and I set up an appointment. At that time I was in the middle of losing my apartment and I had to pick up more hours of work. The navigator called me up and from the first phone call I felt comfortable telling her what was going on, and I’m very weird when it comes to asking for help. She made me feel like it was okay. That everybody needs help. She asked me things like I was a member of her family.”
“By the next day I had emails in my account. You name it, I had different resources from all kinds of places. The rent, electric bill, and moving assistance were huge. I couldn’t have done that without WorkLife Partnership. WorkLife Partnership was there at the right time, and everything fell into place at a moment when life was tumbling down. WorkLife Partnership was my little bright light at the end of the tunnel. I so appreciate that.”
On Her Resiliency
“I think about my dad and what he would want me to do as the head of the household. It’s been tough, but I do it for my family.”
“My son is that light brought back into our lives. I look at my little boy and I do it for him. Now I have somebody who depends on me the way I depended on my parents. I want to give him the life that my parents worked very hard to give me.”
“I had my son about a month after my dad passed away. They say death takes, but we got something back, and I feel like my father sent my son to keep us together. Keep us whole. It is the three of us again. My mom, my son, and me.”
On What a Perfect Life Would Look Like
“My main goal is to get out of financial debt. I hope to one day get a little house for my mom and son. That’s my dream right now and then go from there.”
“I also want to help families and single moms who have to take care of their family. I’m going to school now for public health and social work.”
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WorkLife’s Worker Voice Initiative aims to advance the way we uplift the voices of workers we serve, focusing on authentic stories from workers who experience systemic and societal issues that impact their ability to bring their whole selves to their jobs. If you’re interested in sharing your story, please email us at [email protected].