Raised by an Essential Worker
A Celebration of Resilience, Sacrifice, Dedication, Selflessness, and Perseverance
Our mission is to showcase and honor individuals who form the backbone of our communities, to celebrate the stories of resilience, and grow inspiration to continue their dreams for us, the children of Essential Workers.
“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.”
-Napoleon Hill
Richard, my Dad (“Elvis”)
Dropping out of high school to help take care of his nine brothers and sisters, after his mother’s death and father’s absence, my father selflessly put his dreams to rest. The award he’s holding up in this photo is still hanging up in my parents home, right in the middle of the hallway that leads to our bedrooms and main bathroom. As he got older, he couldn’t help talk about all the good things the company he worked for was doing for him, our family, and our community.
He was a proud “partner” but it wasn’t easy to get there. He got his GED in his thirties and that’s when he began working for the company he retired from 26 years later. My dad became “essential” years before the COVID-19 pandemic. He told us how he began training to become an 18-wheeler truck driver. He would be delivering groceries to stores all across the state. That never panned out because he heard stories of how some marriages fell apart and children were hurt. He said that he never wanted anything like that to happen to our family. So, he decided to support the transportation department in another way. He became what became known to us as a “Yard Spotter.”
Yard Spotters drive a Yard Mule to move large containers and semi-trailers in and around the distribution center. My dad prepped those trucks by moving them from one loading dock to another to get filled up. He then parked them so they were ready for the truck drivers. The truck drivers would then review the load and take off. He was essential to other essential workers. He did this for years and loved every moment of it. Not too bad for a high school drop out.
His Youth - Baseball?
I never knew the story of my dad’s baseball background until the day we had his Rosary which was the day before he was buried. My cousin shared what he learned from his father, Tio Eleno, on the left. Dad’s on the right. My uncle Alejandro and Lorenzo standing in the middle.
My grandmother just gave birth to her tenth child and suddenly passed away. Her husband, my grandfather, left. I’m assuming he couldn’t handle his wife’s sudden death and raising ten children on his own. My Dad was in high school and apparently a great baseball player. He was so good that he was being scouted by the MILB (Minor League Baseball).
All ten kids were in danger of being placed into foster care and separated. Tio Eleno proposed to my Dad’s sister, whom he was dating at the time. They got married so the kids could stay together and my dad dropped out of high school to start working and help them raise his brothers and sisters.
Now it made sense, the stories of my dad coaching little league meant he had a way to keep his talents useful.
