Waisheung Diaz: Giving Back Through Service
A mother of six and grandmother to five, Waisheung Diaz certainly has her hands full as the family matriarch – which makes it all the more impressive that she is pursuing a degree in human services at Metropolitan College of New York while also holding a full-time job.
She wasn’t always able to juggle so much, and she credits her family’s 2020 move into supportive housing at Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx as the stabilizing change she needed to pursue these goals.
“I’m a veteran. I did six years with the United States Army and was diagnosed afterward with PTSD, which really disrupted my life. I spent years living at a women’s shelter in Queens. Anxious. Fearful. And, the conditions in the shelter system only fueled my depression.”
Her health and well-being improved when she moved into her new apartment. “It was like a big heavy jacket just fell off. I felt less edgy. I could bake and cook again. My children and I could come and go as we pleased. We were free.”
One of the best parts of moving into Bruckner was reuniting with Ocho. “I’ve had Ocho since she was a puppy, but I had to leave her with friends because she wasn’t allowed at the shelter. Ocho is family. Having her back with me and my kids has made Bruckner really feel like home.”
Waisheung also appreciates the support services that the staff offer at Bruckner. She is quick to shout out Kaalvin, the Youth Advocate on site, who has been an important role model for her sons. “He’s another adult my children can speak to. He helps with homework, and all the staff here really make time for us.”
That also includes Waisheung’s service coordinator who encouraged her to apply for Community Access’ Howie the Harp job training program in Harlem. Waisheung enrolled and thrived in the program, completed training in 2021, and was quickly hired by RevCore Recovery Center in Brooklyn as a mental health peer specialist and receptionist.
“Melissa, the program director at Bruckner, also helped me pick a good school for continuing my studies. Now, I’m the first person in my family to attend college. My goal is to make a career advocating for veterans. Once we get out of the Army, we often feel forgotten. So many vets turn to drugs and alcohol and experience homelessness. I’m stably housed now, so I can focus on helping others.” .
About Community Access
Community Access’ mission is to expand opportunities for people living with mental health concerns to recover from trauma and discrimination through affordable housing, training, advocacy and healing-focused services. We are built upon the simple truth that people are experts in their own lives.
