“I grew up in San Francisco, near Ingleside. I moved to Bayview in 2003. It was a unique experience: busy, I enjoyed it. The city has a lot to offer.

I was a new mother hired by the City of San Francisco to work in social services. I told them I needed time to pump when I was interviewing, but after being hired, they told me I couldn’t take breaks to pump. They harassed me every day and ignored my requests for accommodation. When I finally asked to see the policy about pumping, I was terminated.

It’s hard to explain what it feels like to be fired for such a reason. I was depressed. I was devastated, blindsided, shocked that something like that can still happen. For reasons that had nothing to do with job performance, my career in social services was over.

I wouldn’t be here today without Open Door Legal. They listened, validated how I felt. They were honest with me. They helped me get therapy and put on the road to get better. Nobody else I talked to would listen to me, or even validate that there had been a problem, that what I had suffered had been wrong.

In the end, they helped me get compensation for the wrongs I had endured. Hopefully, this won’t happen to anyone else.”

Photography © Lauren Lombard