Inspiring Conversations with Rose Espinoza of Rosie’s Garage

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose Espinoza.

Hi Rose, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am where I am today because of one decision: buying a new home in a low-income neighborhood where I once lived. It was a neighborhood filled with good memories, and a place where my husband and I wanted our 8-year-old son to grow up with the same sense of belonging, safety, and good childhood memories.

Unfortunately, the neighborhood had changed, for the worse. Some of my neighbors were involved in gang activity. There were moments of fear. Moments of doubt. Even moments when we received threats. I questioned whether we had made the right decision for our family.

Yet in the middle of that uncertainty, something became clear to me: the children were not the problem. They were the ones most vulnerable to the changes happening around them. They needed a safe place. They needed support. They needed someone to believe in them.

My husband and I decided to convert our home garage into a temporary space where children could come after school to complete their homework in a safe space. Other families wanted to help and generously offered the use of their garages as well. What became as a small effort quickly grew.

Donations began arriving, bookshelves, books, a whiteboard, tables, and more chairs. What started as a temporary solution became something rooted and real. Eventually, there was no more moving from garage to garage. Our home garage became their place – a steady, welcoming space where children could focus, learn, and feel valued.

The original plan was to provide support for just two years. I thought that would be enough time to help improve things. I had no idea that what began as a short-term response would become my life’s calling.

After 14 years of providing homework support to neighborhood children, I made one of the most difficult decisions of my life: in 2005, I left my wonderful position as Principal Designer at Beckman Coulter.

It wasn’t just a career change – it was a leap into the unknown. I walked away from a steady, good-paying job to no guaranteed income at all. Our salary covered everything: the mortgage, utilities, groceries, and my son’s school tuition. Security, stability, predictability. I was trading all that for faith.

Was I risking too much? I questioned myself. Yet, I felt a calling to something more – something that extended beyond a paycheck.

Through the grace of God, we managed. Somehow, the bills were paid. Somehow, doors opened just when they needed to. What felt reckless at first slowly revealed itself to be providential.

Then came another unexpected turn.

I was asked to run for the La Habra City Council.

The idea felt almost absurd. Politics had never crossed my mind. In fact, the only thing I knew about City Hall was that I went to there to pay my water bill. Running for office seemed like something “other people” did – not me.

But the requests kept coming. Conversations turned into encouragement. Eventually, I agreed to run. Even that journey required persistence. It took several attempts before I finally earned a seat in 2000.

Today, looking back on 25 years of service on the La Habra City Council – including six terms as Mayor- I see a pattern I couldn’t see then. The risky decisions, the unexpected invitations, the doors that opened after moments of doubt, none of it was accidental.

What began as helping children with homework and simply wanting to serve my community became a lifelong commitment to that same community- just at a larger scale.

Sometimes the scariest decisions are the ones that align most closely with purpose.

Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?

The road of our journey was never smooth. It was littered with obstacles we never anticipated when we first moved back – obstacles that tested not only our courage, but our faith.

We began simply, attending neighborhood watch meetings, and the backlash came swiftly. Our truck was covered in graffiti. Then came word that a drive-by shooting was being planned at our home. Fear settled into our lives in a way I had never known before.

But somewhere between fear and frustration, a different idea began to form.

If confrontation was escalating the danger, perhaps connection could disarm it. I started speaking quietly with neighbors, listening to their concerns, their hopes of their children. Out of those conversations came a simple but powerful idea: what if we created a safe place for the neighborhood kids – a place for homework help, encouragment, and belonging?

It began small. A table, a few chairs, and a handful of students. But something remarkable happened. The threats stopped. Our home – once marked as a target – became known as a place where children gathered after school. Grades began to improve, confidence began to grow.

And perhaps most importantly, hope returned – not just for the kids, but for all of us.

Now, a new challenge stands before us: sustaining this work. The need is greater than ever. We have built something meaningful – a safe haven, a second home – and we are determined not to let it fade.

Obstacles have changed, but so has our resolve. This time, we are not reacting to threats. We are building toward a future.

Please tell us more about your business or organization. What should we know? What do you do, what do you specialize in / what are you known for? What sets you apart from others? What are you most proud brand wise? What do you want readers to know about your brand, offerings, services, etc.

Rosie’s Garage was established in 1991, during a time when gang culture was tightening its grip on our neighborhood. What began as a concern for the children around us became something much bigger that we ever imagined. My husband and I made a simple but life-changing decision: we opened our home garage to the local kids.

At first, it was just a space – concrete floors, folding chairs, and a few donated supplies. But quickly, it became a safe zone, a refuge. A place where children could walk in and know they were seen, valued, and protected.

We watched as young faces, once guarded and uncertain, began to soften. Homework was completed. Laughter returned. Confidence grew. Over time, grades improved, self-esteem strengthened, and something even more powerful happened – gang activity and participation in the area began to decline. It wasn’t just a program; it was prevention rooted in love and presence. It was proof that accessibility matters. By keeping the services with the neighborhood, we removed barriers. The children didn’t need transportation or complicated applications. They just had to walk up. And they did.

What humbles me most are the moments when young adults approach me and ask, “Do you remember me?” Most of the time, I don’t – not because they weren’t important, but because there were so many. Then they tell me they’re applying to college. Or working in local government. Or building careers in the private sector. In those moments, I realize the true return on our investment was never financial – it was generational.

For a time, I also offered ESL classes in our garage. One woman recently reminded me she had attended those classes. She now owns her own salon, Hearing her story felt like watching a seed we planted quietly take root and bloom years later.

Rosie’s Garage has never been a large nonprofit with big budgets or flashy campaigns. We have intentionally kept it small and local. Our mission has always been simple: inspire the love of learning and create a safe place where children – and even adults – can believe in their own potential.

It may just be a garage to some. But to us and to generations of families, it has been a doorway – out of gangs, out of poverty, and into possibility.

What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big change?

Rosie’s Garage Board of Directors is entering a season of transition. After years of faithful leadership, it is time to hand the baton to a new Executive Director. This moment offers an opportunity not only to honor the foundation that has been built, but to invite fresh vision and new leadership can help shape the future directioin and growth of the organization.

As for my future plans, I am running for Orange County Supervisor. It is not a decision I made lightly. It comes with uncertainty, scrutiny, and the weight of responsibility. Yet when I look back at my life, I see a pattern that I could not recognize before.
The risky decisions.
The unexpected invitations.
The doors that opened only after moments of deep doubt.

At the time, each step felt isolated – even frightening. Buying a home in a struggling neighborhood. Speaking up when it would have been easier to stay quiet. Accepting roles I did not feel fully prepared for. Each moment carried risk. Each required faith.

But now I see that none of it was accidental.

Every challenge shaped me. Every setback clarified my purpose. Every door that opened did so because I had first chosen courage over comfort. What once felt like coincidence now feels like calling.

Running for Orange County Supervisor is simply the next step in that journey. It is not about ambition, it is about responsibility. It is about taking everything I have learned – about community, about resilience, about leadership forged in real neighborhoods with real struggles – and putting it to work for the people of Orange County.

The pattern is clear to me now; when something feels difficult but necessary, when the risk is real but the purpose is greater, that is when I am meant to step forward.

And so, once again, I am choosing courage.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road of our journey was strewn with many obstacles. We started with a neighborhood watch gathering, which led to our truck being graffitied by the gang members, and then a potential drive-by was to take place at our home. It was then that I began thinking of other options, talking with neighbors, and came up with the idea of providing homework help to the neighborhood kids. The threats stopped, a safe place for kids to gather was established, and kids’ grades began to improve.

The new challenge is raising funds to continue providing services.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Rosie’s Garage was established in 1991 to combat the growing gang culture in La Habra. My husband and I opened our garage to all local children, which quickly became a safe zone and a hub for neighborhood support and academic assistance. Since then, Rosie’s Garage has helped generations of families break the chain of vice, gangs, and poverty.

What sets Rosie’s Garage apart from others is that the services are provided within the neighborhood, and the site was established there. The goal was to make the services accessible. The kids walk up to the site, which is a safe place to gather, and their grades and self-esteem are improving. Data collected shows that the gang’s activity and participation eventually decline; it’s a win-win.

I am most proud that we are getting a good return on our investment in our community. Young adults come up to me and ask if I remember them; most of the time, I don’t. They tell me they are applying to medical school, others work for the local government, and many are going to college. I also offered ESL classes in the “garage”, and one participant reminded me of her attendance and now owns her own salon.

Rosie’s Garage is not a big non-profit; we keep it small and local and strive to inspire the love of learning.

What are your plans for the future?
Our board of directors is discussing succession; it is time to hand the baton to a new executive director and see what they and the board have in mind for the future of Rosie’s Garage.

Pricing:

• The services of Rosie’s Garage are free to low-income children and families that fall within the HUD guidelines.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rosiesgarage.org