Heroes are ordinary people who respond to challenges in extraordinary ways. Nora Sandigo is such a person. She has had a profound and positive influence in the lives of hundreds of children around the United States. As a result of her tremendous compassion and boldness, she and her husband have volunteered to serve as the legal guardians to over 182 unaccompanied children in the United States.
All of these children are homeless because of the immigrant status of their parents. Many parents have been deported with their children left behind, and there are currently no systems or agencies in place that care for children born in the US to undocumented immigrants. They are all at risk of becoming homeless orphans.
In response to such harsh circumstances, Nora has taken two children into her home and has found homes for the remaining 180 children through friends and relatives. She and her husband have taken on the expense of housing and feeding all of these children, and she combats federal and state agencies to defend these children from further suffering and abandonment.
Nora Sandigo receives children every week from parents who sign over their power of attorney, because they trust Nora with the lives of their children. Nora has come to know these families over the years, because she has visited them throughout South Florida to provide food and clothing while they worked as undocumented immigrants.
Nora is driven by a deep commitment to family, faith, and service. “Every child is a blessing” reads a bumper sticker on Nora’s car, which she got when she received her first child whose parents were deported in 2009. Five years and 811 blessings later, she continues to stand ready to receive more children. When her phone rings and she receives another child, she tells herself, “I can do this.” As she sorts out her notebook containing her to-do list for the day, she also cries out, “¡Dios mio! Every child is also more work. Send angels, Lord, to help me do this task!”
Nora Sandigo is an ordinary woman who has done extraordinary work and personifies a spirit of commitment and dedication worthy of praise during this Women’s History Month.
Article Contributed by:
Lourdes Aguirre
Board Member for Mujeres de Esperanza, a ministry of Esperanza