Natalia and Britney met in 2017 and became inseparable friends. During the pandemic, they talked about how their mental health has changed during the lockdown, particularly how being away from friends and family affected them. They assumed that other Latinx community members may also be going through similar challenges, so they started a podcast for the Latinx community in “Spanglish” where they discuss mental health and other important life topics that were unique to the community.
Growing up in Hispanic Households, it can be challenging to talk about our mental health issues with our family.
Says Natalia, which is why they created the podcast “Las chicas del barrio” (The Girls from the Neighborhood) with the hope that the people listening could feel less alone. The hosts made themselves available to all listeners via Instagram or email for any questions and thoughts they may want to reach out for.
The hosts mention that their biggest struggle was opening up to the world and sharing parts of them that have not been shared before. The process was uncomfortable because they are both private people but being vulnerable has taught them how to communicate on a deeper level. They say the experience helped them grow as individuals.
Soon after launching the podcast, they decided to help more people by doing community projects; for example, one project has been giving love letters to the home for the elderly during Valentine’s Day. As a result of the local impact, they were able to connect to other podcasters, community leaders, and people in their community that want to volunteer. For these two friends who are now engaged with their community, the community has become their family.
Readers can visit their Instagram @laschicasdelbarriopodcast to learn about the other social activities they are engaged in.
