THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS A time for Catholics to pause and reflect with gratitude for the blessings in their lives.
For Jaritzy Marquez, 18, of Seal Beach, this year’s celebration is especially meaningful as she embraces her role as a first-time mother.
The sense of gratitude and unconditional love she feels for her 7-month-old daughter, Lily, her family and Lily’s father is profound.
Yet, months ago, Marquez was frighteningly close to making a choice she would have come to regret—a choice that would have deprived her of the fulfillment she experiences today.
At 17, Marquez was a first-year college student with plans for a career. When Marquez discovered she was pregnant, the news felt like a barrier that would jeopardize her future.
“How can I finish school and pursue a career while raising a child?” she wondered.
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Reflecting back, Marquez spoke candidly about the fear and uncertainty she felt—so much so that abortion became an option.
“I was like, how am I supposed to take care of a baby when I don’t have any babies around me?” Marquez recalled. “I never had that connection to babies.”
She went as far as making an appointment with Planned Parenthood, scheduling an abortion for the day after her 18th birthday.
On the day of her scheduled abortion, her partner Sebastian encouraged her to first talk with someone at the Life Center of Santa Ana — a nonprofit serving mostly teens and young adults at risk for abortion by providing mentoring and pregnancy-options information.
“He told me, ‘Let’s go in the morning. And if you don’t like what she has to say, then think about it. Just cancel your appointment,’” Marquez said. “I felt like God was calling me to go. I knew deep down it was the wrong thing to go through with the abortion.”
At the Life Center, Marquez found support and gained clarity. She canceled the appointment at Planned Parenthood and chose life for her baby. Throughout her pregnancy, Marquez felt a deeper level of faith and learned about the importance of family. Jaritzy was also the first recipient of the Life Center’s Benevolence Grant, a grant families at risk for abortion can apply to receive.
At eight months pregnant, she started a pop-up coffee business with her sister Jannet, 33. They aptly called the pop-up Cup of Faith, a name that came to them during Mass.
For Jannet, who helped raise Jaritzy, running Cup of Faith with her sister and being part of Lily’s life has been a full-circle experience.
JARITZY MARQUEZ, 18, LEFT, AND HER SISTER JANNET MARQUEZ POSE FOR A PHOTO WITH THEIR COFFEE CART BUSINESS CALLED CUP OF FAITH.
“Seeing the baby is like seeing my sister again,” Jannet said. “I didn’t know my love for her would grow even more.”
Jaritzy’s brother helps by transporting the cart, espresso machine and supplies in his truck. Their mother babysits Lily while Janet and Jaritzy serve guests. As the doting father, Sebastian watches Lily while Jaritzy goes to school or work, or even just to give her some “me-time.”
“They’ve been a big help throughout this journey,” Marquez said of her family. “It’s a privilege that a lot of moms don’t have. I’m really grateful for that.”
As the name implies, their coffee business is steeped in faith. Customers who purchase a cup of coffee are welcome to close their eyes and pick from a stack of miniature stickers marked with a Bible verse to affix to their cup of coffee.
“We tell them, ‘What is God telling you today?’” Jaritzy said. “And sometimes they say, ‘That’s exactly what I needed.’” They have also committed to giving back to the church community by sponsoring Catholic retreats.
Jaritzy and Jannet hope to turn their coffee business into a brick-and-mortar operation, while still keeping the faith element at the center.
“I just love serving coffee to people and making them happy,” Jaritzy said. “Because coffee makes me happy. And now I get to do that for others.”
https://www.instagram.com/cupoffaithcoffee/