Esther

Esther moved to Washington in 1986, but growing up in Brooklyn means “definitely my New York roots will always be a part of me.” She arrived in the Seattle area at a time that is now hard to imagine, with rural touches commonly mixed into suburban areas. “People had cows and llamas and horses in their backyard.”

She began her college studies at Syracuse University. After the move west with her husband, she completed her bachelors degree at the University of Washington Bothell in interdisciplinary studies with a human rights minor. Since completing her degree in 2009, her life has been filled with community work, including children’s and women’s ministries and a feeding program at her church. She worked in student services at Shoreline Community College’s multicultural center.

Esther, whose family is originally from Puerto Rico, is bilingual in Spanish. Before joining North Helpline, she worked at Valley Cities, which provides behavioral health care.

She wanted to join North Helpline’s staff because of its values of treating people with compassion and respect. It’s “what I believe in and stand for. It’s a perfect fit.”