Hello good afternoon, my name is Hilda Mendoza, well, Quintero actually since I'm single, Quintero Mendoza, I have it on my ID that way, but my original name is Hilda Quintero. 

For now, I am a resident here in San Bernardino. I have approximately been living here for, it could already be said, a year because I arrived when the pandemic began. It was precisely in May, like May 6 or 7, when we came here but I used to live in Los Angeles. I have a lot of family here so I would often come to visit them and every time that I came, we had a way in Los Angeles to 'see' the pandemic because it was very recent. 

Wherever you would see masks, people were distanced from each other and greetEd one another with the elbow...so when I came here I saw that there was a lot of parties, many parties. I would arrive with my mask on and how can I describe it, I would be in awe because no one was wearing their masks then I said "Wow, how is it that no one has their mask on in the middle of the pandemic?" and everyone made fun of me. I would greet with my elbow still and then after, everyone touched each other with the elbow and I felt like “wow" but I said to myself “I’ll take care of myself, and I don’t care for what others do” you understand? I take care of myself and go on ahead with my day.

So when I started coming here often like two or three times a week, I began to sell masks....Sorry, I mean I was coming to offer a few masks that I’d buy like around 10 or so and I would begin selling them to my family....many would laugh and didn’t want them. So what I did, I went to my house one day when I arrived and during that time, I was in the Amway business and I had a graphic designer that was dedicated to making and printing cards. 

I’d comment to him about what would happened here, that people weren’t taking care of themselves. We reached an agreement where I’d buy plain masks and he would apply a logo. I started with a basket carrying about 200 masks and began to sell precisely here where we are right now at the Walmart in San Bernardino and after, I’d sell all over this area such as Highland and Victorville, I would see myself selling more and more masks. Truthfully, I’d sell many because my prices were economical in comparison to those who’d sell in the area. At that time, all the people sold up to $15 a mask and I was always giving them at $5 and I think that was what God did to help me to sell. Each time it was more, more, and more! 

The only problem with being a vendor is, to tell you the truth, much of what we sell is not enough to sustain us financially. Apart from that, there is a lot of danger in the streets, many people believe that because we are selling out here, it is easy but it's not. So much so that I have a friend, Marlene, who was also a vendor and we used to sell together. This girl has three children and she came from Los Angeles to sell fruit, we would get together at 2 o'clock to sell, help each other out because it is a problem when one is selling and there is no bathroom nearby. Sometimes that causes a lot of trouble, I got a urinal infection because sometimes you need to hold it in for a long time until you find a bathroom and between me and her, I covered our stand when she went to the bathroom and vice versa. 

But on one occasion, God is very big, I went to Los Angeles to sell and being there, I had a slight accident. It was nothing major at all thank God we are all fine, but for whatever reason I could not go to sell. The next day, I went to the place of sales where I was always going and they gave me the news that Mrs. Marlene… An American in Highland at the Walmart… wow it hurts just speaking about it… This guy was entering; I have the photos, video of everything on what happened… just began to stare at her in a menacing way, turned the wheel and drive the car on her. That lady was in a coma all year... now, I have tried to investigate about her situation because they no longer answered my calls. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from her but I do know they talked about her being disabled and that she may not speak again. 

Apart from that when I was in Amway at the beginning of the pandemic, I also remember when I was knocking on doors and how people, for fear of the pandemic, closed their doors on us. They no longer let us talk to them, give them information about the business, and one could not sell. All that affected me a lot, I had no sales so I’d say “what do I do God? What am I going to do Sir?” the rent in Los Angeles is very expensive compared to here. God opened the way for me with a family who lent me a little trailer home for two months and thanks to Him, with selling masks, it’s helped me get ahead. 

I’ve sacrificed so much that in reality the money we make is only enough for food and rent, nothing more. Right now I'm in awe that the world says the pandemic is already getting easier, that it’ll pass. Thank God that it is going to end because one needs to be strong. It doesn’t matter that I was left without a business because there are other opportunities for that. And that is what I ask God, to help me with another opportunity to talk about my dreams, which is what I have to do and thank God I have already issued bags, brooches so that if this ends then I’ll continue with that sale because right now I can't work outside of here. 

My child is special and I can't go to work and leave him home alone. A special boy is a lot of money and I don’t have that kind of money right now. I’d prefer to dedicate myself to watch him and continue doing what I can to get ahead. I have two hands, feet, and health thanks to God. With the strength that I give myself, I’ve had a lot of psychological help since my child is special needs, we had access to these resources. During the pandemic, I have seen many friends who have fallen, who haven’t had the strength to get ahead like I’ve had, which sometimes would lead me to help them financially because I see them in a very bad state. With what I’ve learned to work through, from the therapy we’ve had, thanks to my boy, is that when I’m feeling depressed, sometimes the crisis is very strong and that’s when I say “Holy Father, give me the encouragement to get ahead” and I myself, stand in the mirror and began to tell me myself “I am worth it. I can and I am and I will be strong so that my son is well.” 

Here in San Bernardino, my son's school has been very difficult for me. I don't speak English. I only studied four years of classes and thanks to Amway system, I have been reading a lot because I have to be learning and apart from that, I have also learned to improve myself too. I have learned to better myself as an individual and keep pushing forward. 

My child’s schooling right now has me very worried because he barely has, I think three weeks since I changed schools but before, his psychologists recommended me not to change due to my son having no control of emotions; transitioning to online schooling would give him a lot of stress and complications in comparison to in-person classrooms. A teacher that he had for years, Mr. Gutiérrez, was a good person, he was very sweet with my son. He had the patience and knew how to guide my son very well.

Right now, the problem is that every day that my son has gone to online school there is not a day that they do not call me to tell me that my child was absent. It makes it difficult to believe because those three weeks, I have not come to work to be with my son so that he can focus on school. I don’t understand computers or smartphones but little by little I am getting the hang of it. With my child, I’m with him during the class by his side as he works, I even ask him to get started and he’ll do it but for some reason, they’ll mark him as absent in the afternoon. With that, I don’t understand what is happening here, he doesn’t have any help like the kind he’d have in Los Angeles. 

The pandemic has hurt us a lot because everything is closed, everything is based online and the people who do not know much about smartphones or the internet becomes stressful, I say it because I’ve been in that situation so it has cost me dearly. I was focused on studying the computer to learn more for my son but with the pandemic and everything that followed, it went undone. It is never too late because I am going to do it again, that I am 100% sure and even more so now that doors are opening again. I am going to try… actually I will do it. I am a strong, fighting woman and from there I go forward. If it’s not this time, it will be in another, not even the pandemic will stop me. 

I have seen a lot of sick people around me and still, they do not take care of themselves. There are people that I have told to get the vaccine because as a promoter of HealthNet, I’d pull people to get the vaccine and many people did not want it. The pandemic isn’t going to be like the flu pandemic, many people don’t get the vaccine and by not getting the vaccine, the virus has followed. I think they may have to force people because many people choose not to receive it. I say it because I’ve had to knock on doors and convince people to get the vaccine and many say no. If this continues maybe the pandemic can supposedly ‘end’ but I don’t think it will be that easy if people do not get the shot. To be honest, I do not know the truth, thank you for this opportunity that you gave me to talk about this and what is part of my life because if I start tell you all of it, there has been a lot of damage in the course of this year. Much, much damage and not just me, there are many families that need to vent. Many people do not dare to speak, many people instead cry about it because I was one of those people six years ago and I’d used to shut myself in a room and begin to cry. Now I express myself wherever I go, if they say I'm crazy well I'm crazy or whatever, even if I’m talking about God because I love my Lord. I may be crazy but at least I am happy, even with the pandemic going on. I’m happy  because I see my child is healthy, I lost everything I had for that but blessed be my Lord.

Thank you for this opportunity, I was very pleased to meet you and talk about the pandemic. Good luck and health for everyone, more than anything that God bless all those people that listen to this message, I hope it helps them understand that it has not been easy but we are grateful to have life and health because the one who hasn’t been affected, is blessed by the Lord and for those who have been affected, has already gotten ahead and God is giving them another chance. Please take care of yourselves, maintain social distancing and wear masks while it’s needed, thank you and amen.