Kimberly Ewertz
“ My hope is to offer to the children and their parents a valuable resource to help them all navigate one of the most difficult times in their lives .”
Author - Family Redefined : Childhood Reflections on the Impact of Divorce , Writer - gmhTODAY . familyredefinedbook . com / facebook . com / FamilyRedefinedBook / kimewertz @ gmail . com
Kimberly Ewertz , a Gilroy reporter , freelance writer , and published author with over thirty years of writing experience , has used her own painful experiences to help others . When her son was ten , she and her then-husband divorced . She admits to being caught up in her own struggles and not noticing all her son was going through . Thirty years later , Kim found a way to use that realization — and her talent as a writer — to benefit others .
In 2021 , Kim published a book titled Family Redefined : Childhood Reflections on the Impact of Divorce . Kim said this book “ tells the stories of adult children of divorce , offering insight for divorced parents into what the divorce experience is like for their children .” There are also insights from professional therapists and from Kim ’ s own experiences . Her son Tony ’ s experience was the “ impetus for writing this book ,” and he even tells his story in one chapter .
After learning that Gilroy and Morgan Hill schools did not have a support group for children of divorce , she collaborated with Morgan Hill ’ s Discovery Counseling Center to start a program called “ The Neutral Zone ,” aimed at helping kids feel less alone and to give them a “ neutral ” space to express themselves . Kim said her hope “ is to offer the children and their parents a valuable resource to help them navigate one of the most difficult times in their lives .” They are working with the Morgan Hill School District to test-run this program in one of their schools by January of 2022 , with the ultimate goal of adding it to all local schools .
Kim and her second husband Steven moved to Gilroy seven years ago and consider it home . She said , “ We love immersing ourselves in this community filled with friendly and extremely generous people .”
Just as Kim has used her and her son ’ s painful experiences as a positive force to help others , she sees the community ’ s role as a place “ filled with love , acceptance , tolerance , and resources available to all who need them .” Kim plans to continue helping others by writing a second book , this time focused on reaching children . “ This is my banner ,” she said , “ supporting the children of divorce .”
We are proud to call Kim part of our gmhTODAY family . Her contributions to this publication are immeasurable . Her passion for storytelling , coupled with her desire to help others overcome difficult circumstances , has and will continue to make a positive impact throughout our community and beyond for generations to come .
18 WINTER 2022 gmhTODAY Magazine gmhtoday . com