Extraordinary Women: Maritza Fred

Maritza Fred and her husband, Robert, have been married for 36 years and have three beautiful daughters, five loving grandchildren and three foster children.

As a young girl, Maritza had to overcome many challenges. Her parents were out often, either at work or at community meetings, leaving Maritza to care for her seven brothers. As she got older, she became aware of many homes with absent fathers and parents who verbally abused their children.

In response, Maritza and her husband have opened their homes to several children as foster parents, providing a loving and nurturing home for these children and has advocated for their parents, assisting them in getting into programs that would help them eventually reunite. Maritza and her husband are committed to mentoring married couples in order to help them parent their children, and live healthy and respectable lives.

Because of her concern for children, Maritza has partnered with agencies in her community to provide reading programs, has become a parent advocate for schools in Sunset Park and conducts monthly parenting workshops for several community-based organizations. Maritza recently opened up a child care business in her home where she provides a nurturing environment and plants a solid foundation for the parents to build upon.

Maritza received her GED in 2004. She is passionate about showing Hispanic women in particular their worth and teaching them to have respect for themselves as well as to expect it from others. Her passions drive her to assist in empowering those less fortunate in any way possible.