Alumna Overcomes Grief and Gives to Others
Marcia Arreola lost her son Jonathan in a car accident in December 2003. It was Jonathan’s
last day of his first semester at Cerritos College. Marcia suffered from depression
for two years after the incident, but knew she had to continue supporting Jonathan’s
two sisters.
Jonathan’s death left the family with one determination – not to let his death become another statistic. Jonathan’s father, who started college alongside him in 2003, became a sheriff’s deputy to give back to the community. One of Jonathan’s younger sisters became a nurse working with cancer patients, and his other sister is pursuing a career in education.
As for Marcia, she enrolled in the Cerritos College Mental Health Worker program in 2006. She received her mental health certificate and pursued a career of helping people with mental issues.
Since there weren't enough resources available when she was grieving, Marcia established Jonathan's Giving Tree in 2018, a nonprofit organization that assists families through support groups to work through the grieving process of losing a child. The non-profit provides up to $1,000 for low income families to help with burial costs of their child. Jonathan’s Giving Tree’s key mission is to provide hope, encouragement, and understanding to begin the healing process of losing a child.
Marcia raised additional funds in November and provided five families who had lost a child $200 each to assist with expenses during the holidays that were experiencing hardship. In December 2020, she was featured as a Local Hero by Fox 11.
Visit http://jonathansgivingtree.org/index.html for more information on Jonathan's Giving Tree and to donate.
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