Villalta knows she can’t do it alone. A warrior since childhood, but she says the support of the community in general is necessary.
She couldn’t believe it. There were moments when she thought she was transforming her life, during which time she often felt lost and, at times, in a constant search. But life had given her another chance; she moved from Los Angeles to Arizona and gave birth to her baby, and she knew that she had to prove to herself that she could get ahead and be someone who contributed to the community and society.
Her baby was born, she found a job, and rented an apartment. She felt that things were getting better. But one day, the police and some bank representatives arrived at her appartment and informed her that she had been living in a property that was in foreclosure; the money she had been paying as rent had gone to scammers. She trusted them, and that was her mistake.
They kicked her out onto the street, with only her few belongings and her baby in her arms, wondering where she would live and eat that day and the next. Life had given her another lesson that would stay with her for life.
“I was homeless for three months. My coworkers would helped me some days. I felt what thousands of people feel when they have no roof or food every day. What surprised me the most was that when I was evicted from the apartment, my neighbors didn’t offer to help. What did they do? They took photos and videos of that sad moment,” says Jacqueline Villalta, CEO of Operation Healthy Hearts (OHH), a community-driven organization she founded in 2012, with the mission of addressing food insecurity and homelessness through sustainable, accessible solutions.
“I returned to California, but I was already marked; I had to do something with my life, give my son a different life than the one I had,” she says.
Villalta was born in Panama; her parents are descendants of Mexicans born in Durango, Mexico. Her father was in the military and moved through many military bases during Jacqueline’s childhood. Her mother, very studious and intelligent, graduated with two PhDs from UCLA and Cal State, despite living through years of marital abuse.
“My childhood was very difficult. Moving from place to place didn’t give me a sense of belonging. I was timid; it seemed like I wasn’t part of anything. For a time, we lived in Georgia, where most of my classmates were Black. I was the only or one of the only Latinas,” she says.
From a young age, she had to take on several responsibilities, but it also fostered feelings of compassion for others. “My brother was born blind and with level 3 autism. I had to help him with his things from a very young age. My father was struggling with his addictions. He didn’t talk about it; who knows what he saw and experienced in the military, but that led to violent behavior. Her mother worked and spent almost all day out of the house. I barely saw her, sometimes only at night,” she says. “It was a lot…”
She was only 11 when her parents divorced, which brought her more responsibilities. Her mother tried to cover household expenses while Jacqueline helped to maintain order and home responsibilities. They were also still receiving support from her grandparents.
Villalta thinks that many people aren’t interested or involved in the problems of the homeless or families at risk of losing their homes.
During high school, it felt as if a snowstorm had fallen on her head. She couldn’t concentrate on her studies, got into a lot of trouble, and hanging out with “the wrong crowd” prevented her from turning her life around. “They put me in a school for troubled students. That didn’t help. It increased my problems, and I got pregnant. I was falling into an abyss,” she says.
After returning from Arizona and living with her mom again, the feeling of loneliness she had experienced as a child returned. Living in Hacienda Heights, she was convinced in 2011 that she had to go out into the community, seeking help and providing it as well. “I created a Facebook page where I invited my community to meet and talk about our lives, mental health topics, and healthy living. I realized that by interacting with others, I wasn’t the only one with those kinds of problems; there were many of us in that situation,” she says.
Villalta aspired to become a personal trainer, so her ambitions for a healthy life were always present. “I wanted to help. I went to the neighborhood church and asked for permission to start giving food to those in need. They said yes, and I asked for help from the neighbors; many cooperated, and we prepared food for whoever showed up. In a few years, the event grew so much that it caught the attention of the Sheriff’s Department. one day they showed up, I thought they would fine me for not having a permit and for having so many people. But, on the contrary, they offered to partner with me, and that was a blessing. They helped me a lot, they introduced me to several people who would help me grow and be able to assist more people in need,” she adds.
Villalta’s focus, in addition to helping the community, is to provide healthy food, not just the processed, unhealthy products that many supermarkets donate. She thought that if she was going to do this, she would do it well. “I would offer healthy food,” she says.
Jacqueline knows about the problems with obesity and health that the Latino community faces, but that doesn’t intimidate her. “I never had the problems that many Latino families have with their eating habits… I wanted to offer an option. The other day, I made quinoa bowls…,” she laughs, “nobody turned them down; they liked them. Another day, I made pozole, and like that, I always look for the best alternatives.”
She mentions that more than the food, she finds that many homeless people complain about their teeth. There’s a lot of food they can’t chew, and that’s a problem.
Her events have grown not only in size but in services. Many organizations and politicians have collaborated. Supervisor Hilda Solis has been a great benefactor. For some years now, Villalta has held her events permanently at Whittier Narrows, serving an average of 100 people. Now, she plans to expand to other cities.
Villalta thinks that not enough people are interested or involved in the problems of the homeless or families at risk of losing their homes. For her, providing support is fundamental to helping these people. “This whole experience has helped me a lot; they are life lessons that have nourished me. My mom still hopes I will go to college, and my father sometimes helps me at the events. What I seek is to expand my organization and continue helping,” she adds.
Villalta knows she can’t do it alone. A warrior since childhood, but she says that the support of the community in general is necessary.
“We need more empathy toward this community. People need more community. If we are more, we can help more,” she says. “In my organization, it’s just two of us and the volunteers who help us. I invite people who cut hair, others who offer showers, medical check-ups. I try to be inclusive, bringing in more and more services,” says this young Latina.
