40 Years, 40 Faces: Olga & Kimberly

Chesapeake, Virginia

Olga and her family are long- term US residents, originally from Mexico. She is very soft- spoken, but her voice beams with pride when talking about her three daughters, and she smiles sweetly when their spirited one-year-old puppy arrives at the photo shoot. The family loves to listen to popular Spanish artists, sing, and dance. Kimberly, her oldest daughter, is a high school graduate and currently works two jobs to help out financially. She wants to go back to school to become a Medical Assistant. Kimberly commended the way social service workers have been supportive of her and her sisters’ schooling by providing free learning opportunities and assisting the family with receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Kimberly also hopes others will recognize her mother’s caring nature: “She’s always trying to help out. She honestly cares for people.”

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“40 Years, 40 Faces” was a 2018 photography and storytelling project marking VPLC’s 40th anniversary. Photographer Glen McClure and writer Marshall McClure documented Virginians impacted by VPLC’s work, using portraits and interviews to highlight resilience, dignity, and the ongoing fight for justice.