I was griping one time at home to my husband. “I don't know why am I doing this? This is so frustrating.” And he's looking at me. He said, “Aren’t you thinking about your dad?” And it wasn't until that moment that I realized what effect that had actually on me. And yes, you are completely right. I think that was a big part of my desire to work with people who need assistance like that, that nobody's really looking after or helping.
Jozefina Lantz was born in 1953 in Bar, Montenegro, but grew up in Ljubljana, Slovenia. She moved to Worcester in 1984 with her husband and infant daughter. Her son was born in Worcester. Jozefina worked in different social organizations, including as a manager for Friendly House Inc overseeing the operation of the homeless shelter and as the director of the Lutheran Social Services, where she was in charge of refugee resettlement. In this interview Jozefina discusses her life in Montenegro and Slovenia, including the arrest and imprisonment of her father as a political prisoner, meeting her husband and moving to the United States of America, and her career in Worcester. When Jozefina describes her work, she touches upon the first case of human trafficking she came across as well as people’s motivations for helping. Jozefina also reflects upon her son’s diagnosis with diabetes type one, her perceived lack of support and appreciation for mothers and children in America, and the consequences for her family life.