Luisa’s Story – Making New Friends & Building Community

Luisa is a Home Visitor from Toronto, ON. She emigrated from El Salvador in 2008 with her four children and husband. Luisa found moving to Canada difficult, particularly when it came to securing work with her limited English skills and the demands she faced as a mother.

Shortly after arriving in Canada, Luisa heard about the HIPPY program through her son’s school, and she was excited to join.  She wanted to learn more about the Canadian education system while contributing to her son’s educational success.

Being part of the HIPPY program has been beneficial for both Luisa and her son. They are learning together, and she also began to feel more confident because the HIPPY program improved her language skills. On top of that, Luisa learned more about available resources in her community.

Luisa has since become a HIPPY Home Visitor and continues to pursue her own education. She enrolled in school to study Human Resources and, with the help of HIPPY, has received two scholarships.

Luisa would like to see more communities enjoying the benefits that HIPPY has to offer:

It is very important to extend the program to other areas…HIPPY is a change of life for many families who join the program because HIPPY helps the families be more confident. HIPPY made me more friends. It encourages families to have quality time. I think it is a door for the future.