Dignity not Charity
Written By Jordan Rosenfeld
Cecelia Ponzini , Morgan Hill founder of the Edward Boss Prado Foundation and Cecelia ’ s Closet and Food Pantry , wakes up every morning before the sun is up ready to help challenged families in any way she can .
With fifteen programs ranging from No Child Goes Unfed — feeding children in the schools , to Para los Ninõs , free internet and tutoring every Tuesday and Thursday morning to school aged children — Ponzini is constantly dreaming up new ways to help those in need .
This drive to help comes from Ponzini ’ s own struggles . After a childhood spent largely in foster care , Ponzini came to Morgan Hill in 1967 . By the age of 16 , she was a new wife and mother . Five years later , she left her unhappy marriage and supported herself as a single mother of four children with the aid of food stamps and welfare .
“ I made a lot of mistakes , not knowing how to be a parent . I struggled a lot for years , but I didn ’ t even know I was poor because everyone around me was just like me . It took me a long time to realize this wasn ’ t the way to live ,” Ponzini said .
She eventually found jobs that improved her standard of living and met her current husband of 20 years ,
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN WINTER 2021 gmhtoday . com