Stories

A story is a human chronicle that creates a connection between subject and reader through shared vulnerability, a hope for a better future, and simplicity. While many of us hail from different parts of the world and claim unique experiences, I craft stories that connect us, challenge our assumptions, and open a window into the ambitions and experiences of our neighbors.

"Carlene's Big Day"
“A Local Videographer Gives Back ”
“A New Home for Benjamin”

Carlene's Big Day (click)
Target audience: Potential and existing donors
Goal: Share the impact of donor funding on the life of a program participant

Ask Carlene O’Garro to describe the last 24 hours at her small business, and two things become clear: she loves her product, and she knows the flow of her shop.

After the recent blizzard in Boston forced her to close for two days, she opened back up and restarted a familiar routine: Baking fresh croissants and sticky buns for her 7:30 am regulars, chatting about the weather and connecting with the grandkids of her older customers. The second wave, like clockwork, came right at 7:50 to 8 am.

“Everything has been an uphill struggle, in a positive way,” Carlene says. “I had to earn everything I had, every step of the way.”

Today marks the grand opening of Carlene’s small business, Delectable Desires Pastries. Five years ago, Carlene recalls walking through West Roxbury and deciding she wanted to open a small business in the neighborhood. “It seems a little surreal,” Carlene says, reflecting on her new storefront that resides 10 minutes from where she grew up. “When I walk in and turn the key, I think, is this really my shop or am I working for someone else? It’s a funny feeling.”

With the help of Accion and the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, Carlene secured financing and perspective to strengthen her business’ future. By attending speed coaching events, she realized she had to relinquish some of the different roles inherent in running a business, deciding to hire a bookkeeper who could help manage her business’ financial health. She also used a microloan to purchase equipment, including two confection ovens, a walk-in fridge, and a display case.

“I was able to handle the monthly payments,” Carlene says. “Everything in the space is paid for, and I don’t need to worry about leasing any equipment.”

Little did she know that her graduation from the Pastry Chef program at the Cambridge School of Culinary Education would eventually give her the opportunity to become an expert in construction and permitting. With the help of family and friends, she spent six hard months bringing her storefront up to code to pass inspection. At times working 18-hour days, she fixed up walls, floor boards, and the ceiling, becoming an expert in drywall, wonderboard, and grout.

The experience has Carlene convinced that she can tackle any new challenges that may come her way. For now, she enjoys making neat, clean wedding and designer custom cakes with intricate detailing that convinced one of her customers to wait one full day before cutting into the cake.

“You can do whatever you want," Carlene says. "You can manifest anything. That’s what keeps me motivated.”

A Local Videographer Gives Back
Target audience: Potential and existing donors
Goal: Share the impact of donor funding on the life of a program participant

Tell people you’re shooting videos in California, and chances are, most will think you’re probably trying to make it big in L.A. For Robert Knauf, co-owner of Rowlberto Productions, there are plenty of great stories to tell right by the ocean in San Diego.

“It’s cool being thrown into the inner workings of how different companies do their business,” Robert says, sharing his work with clients including radio stations, real estate firms, and the San Diego Symphony. “Being able to tell their story is a big aspect of what I love.”

Since moving to San Diego, Robert and his business partner Andrew Rowley have worked hard to master a craft they love. A communications graduate of Cal State San Marcos, Robert got his start working at Media Arts Center San Diego. Andrew completed his theater arts degree at San Diego State University and drew much of his inspiration from the world of radio. In 2012, they started Rowlberto Productions.

Having learned the ropes on smaller projects, both have their sights on landing bigger clients to build their brand. Thanks to Accion’s partnership with The Hartford through its Communities with HART program, Robert is using a business loan to hire a new sales coordinator to scope out new opportunities and buy new computer and storage equipment to develop a business infrastructure that positions them well to compete for their dream clients.

To complete their projects, Robert and Andrew hire anywhere from 5-15 people from a trusted network of local videographers, editors, and production assistants depending on the size and requirements for each particular job. “It’s great being able to formulate a crew and make more professional looking videos,” Robert says. “It’s hard to wear multiple hats, so it’s great to delegate to people you trust where you don’t have to look over their shoulder.”

As far as his ambitions may reach, Robert strives to stay grounded in a city he’s not leaving anytime soon. Rowlberto Productions has partnered for three years with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System on “A Trolley Show,” which promotes the use of local public transportation and highlights the best of what San Diego has to offer, including its local musicians. Robert locally sources smaller pieces of equipment at Video Gear, one of the few video equipment rental houses in the city. He also makes time to volunteer and teach editing and basics in video production classes for kids at Media Arts Center San Diego.

“Helping out the community is at the core of our company,” Robert says. “It’s important to give back to the community that made us who we are."

A New Home for Benjamin
Target audience: Potential and existing donors
Goal: Share the impact of donor funding on the life of a program participant

As the nation recognized June as National Homeownership Month, new homeowners Laura Bowman Pimentel and her husband Wellington are now enjoying the home and community that both in years past feared they might never have been able to provide for their now two-year-old son Benjamin.

Having grown up in a small, insular town in the suburbs of Pennsylvania, Laura moved to the District of Columbia in 2001 before traveling to the Dominican Republic in 2003 as a Peace Corps volunteer. There she met Wellington, who had grown up in the socially rich but poor region of Azua in the southwestern Dominican Republic.

For Laura, their new home represents the realization of a dream after difficult moments of economic hardship that tested her faith in her ability to provide Benjamin with the type of childhood that she had wanted to give to him. For Wellington, a recently arrived immigrant who felt the acute burden of social isolation after moving with Laura from the Dominican Republic in 2005, their new home in the United States represents something he hadn’t actually ever imagined was possible.

“I feel a sense of satisfaction because my son has some of the things that I had growing up that for me seemed like the norm – simple things like my own backyard, my own room,” Laura says. “For my husband, to see his son have things that he never had, it’s even more satisfying for him.”

Laura and Wellington seized their chance at homeownership in 2009 given depressed housing prices and the extension of the federal housing tax credit. In search of a bilingual housing counseling agency, they enrolled in LEDC’s pre-purchase housing counseling program. Both worked to prepare for the responsibilities of homeownership, exploring how to obtain a mortgage loan, how their credit score could impact possible financing offers, as well as how to apply for DC’s Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP).

With the help of a $40,000, no-interest HPAP loan, Laura and Wellington purchased their first home last January, calling LEDC the “heart” of what can at times be a stressful but rewarding process.

“To have someone there every step of the way to tell you what to expect, to give you advice on how to do things, was really helpful,” Laura says.

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Stories

"Carlene's Big Day"“A Local Videographer Gives Back ”“A New Home for Benjamin”

“Everything has been an uphill struggle, in a positive way,” Carlene says. “I had to earn everything I had, every step of the way.”

“I was able to handle the monthly payments,” Carlene says. “Everything in the space is paid for, and I don’t need to worry about leasing any equipment.”

The experience has Carlene convinced that she can tackle any new challenges that may come her way. For now, she enjoys making neat, clean wedding and designer custom cakes with intricate detailing that convinced one of her customers to wait one full day before cutting into the cake.

“You can do whatever you want," Carlene says. "You can manifest anything. That’s what keeps me motivated.”

“I feel a sense of satisfaction because my son has some of the things that I had growing up that for me seemed like the norm – simple things like my own backyard, my own room,” Laura says. “For my husband, to see his son have things that he never had, it’s even more satisfying for him.”

With the help of a $40,000, no-interest HPAP loan, Laura and Wellington purchased their first home last January, calling LEDC the “heart” of what can at times be a stressful but rewarding process.

“To have someone there every step of the way to tell you what to expect, to give you advice on how to do things, was really helpful,” Laura says.

"Carlene's Big Day"
“A Local Videographer Gives Back ”
“A New Home for Benjamin”