Historias de esperanza

Tessa Anderson and her eleven-year-old son came to Interfaith after losing their housing. They had been living out of the family car parked in the Walmart parking lot and used the store’s bathroom to bathe themselves. After a while, a friend invited the Andersons to stay with them. However, conflict between them grew and the mother started to lose faith in her situation. Her income was not enough to allow the family to move out, and Tessa felt their quality of life was diminishing.

Soon after, Tessa was connected to Interfaith’s Rapid Re-Housing program and began working with her case manager. There was a period that she lost hope and felt she was wasting her case manager’s time. Her case manager reassured Tessa that she is there to support her and there is no such thing as wasting time.

Then, Tessa was referred to a community partner where the property manager is more flexible and compassionate to these situations. Tessa began looking at properties with her case manager’s assistance. Within a month, she found an apartment within her budget and moved in a week later.

Tessa and her son are now thriving. The property manager loves them, stating they are friendly to everyone in the community. They often cook together, and Tessa’s son has even brought the property manager cookies. The property manager has shown their appreciation for the Andersons even more by providing them with a $1,000 match!

During her time adjusting to her new living situation, Tessa lost hours at her job. This motivated her to seek a new job, and she was offered a full-time position paying $28 per hour with full benefits. While waiting for the new income to trickle in, Tessa relied on the money she saved while with Interfaith. She is incredibly grateful for the time and resources the organization provided her with.

Tessa is excited to give back to the community in the same way it supported her. She has blossomed over her time at Interfaith. Her case manager states that she is a whole new person – she's now glowing. Tessa confidentially feels stable and secure – her life has taken a complete 180-degree turn.

Naomi Ortiz is a single mom with three children. After losing her job, she was left with two months of overdue rent. She began to face eviction after struggling to cover rent. She had come to Interfaith previously but was unable to get assistance due to lack of funding.

Through the People for People fund, Interfaith was able to reconnect with Naomi and let her know that this funding source was available. Interfaith provided rental assistance on the day the eviction would have gone into effect, saving this family from losing their housing.

Olivia Madison came to Interfaith seeking housing assistance. She and her spouse had been staying with family members and friends when their baby was born. They were able ti stay with a family member for an extended period but were asked to leave by the end of December. They are a single income household, but her spouse is actively seeking employment.

Olivia’s case manager helped her find housing, which she was quickly approved for. With the Day One Families fund, Interfaith covered first month’s rent and deposit to secure housing. The family’s next goal is to secure affordable childcare so the parents can both work full-time.

The Kaplan family came to Interfaith after losing their housing. The family consists of the mother, father, and two twin daughters. They had been residing with the maternal grandmother when she lost her Section 8 voucher, leaving the entire household displaced. Since May 2025, the family had been staying in their car until they were connected to the family shelter in October.

The father is the sole income provider with two part-time jobs, one of which he secured while at the shelter. The family receives CalWorks benefits as additional income. The mother is currently pregnant and receiving disability. She also has severe health issues affecting her liver and kidneys that prevent her from holding employment. Recently, her medical team told her she would need surgery, choosing between the mother and the unborn baby’s life. Fortunately, she began to see improvement, and the surgery can be postponed until after the baby is born.

While at the shelter, the family was able to save money with the goal of purchasing a second car for the family. With the Communities in Action fund, Interfaith provided checks for the parents to obtain their drivers licenses. The father’s goal is to obtain his CDLA license so he can earn a higher paying job in the field.

With the Day One Families fund, Interfaith covered the family’s first month’s rent and deposit for a new apartment. The property manager is aware of the family’s situation and worked with the family to help them move in before our check was ready. The grandmother will also be moving in with family. Due to her history of seizures, she does not work or drive. However, she does receive Social Security benefits, providing additional income to the household.

Eric Chavez came to Interfaith seeking housing for his family, which includes himself, his brother, and his niece and nephew. They had been housed until the owners of the property asked them to vacate. The owners were moving back into town and needed their house, so they gave Eric and his family 30 days' notice. Despite both Eric and his brother having a steady income, they did not have enough time to save money and find a new apartment.

Eric was connected to Interfaith through the direct services program. At the time, they were in their second week at a hotel. With the Day One Families fund, Interfaith covered the family’s first month’s rent and deposit, securing them housing within a week.

Regina Mahoney is a single mother with stable income. She was approved for a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment but was unable to save enough funds for the deposit and rent. With the Day One Families fund, Interfaith covered the costs and helped Regina secure housing.

Bella and her son were living in a temporary shelter after fleeing severe domestic violence by Bella’s ex-husband.

Unfortunately, their home burned after their roommate left a candle lit unattended. As a result, they lived in multiple motels for several months before being connected with Interfaith’s family shelter.

Once they moved in, Bella was able to make meaningful efforts toward securing housing and employment for her and her son. Every week, she turned in employment and housing tracks to demonstrate this effort.

Bella reconnected with a friend in Nevada, who offered Bella and her son a place to stay until Bella secures employment and is financially stable. By staying in Interfaith’s Family Shelter, she saved enough money for moving costs and housing applications.

With funding provided by the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, Interfaith purchased flights to ensure the family’s safe and smooth transition to their new home. Additionally, due to the family not having a car and the son needing to get to and from school, an Uber card was purchased for them to cover transportation expenses for the first few days in the new city. This gave the family time to adjust to their new home, get to know the area, and settle in.

The case manager even drove the Johnsons to the airport and assisted them with the process of getting on the plane. The Johnsons arrived safely at their new home and have expressed deep gratitude toward the Interfaith team.

Claire O’Hara came to Interfaith Community Services seeking housing navigation and rental assistance. She and her four children began experiencing homelessness after fleeing a domestic violence situation. The family moved into the maternal grandmother’s crowded apartment.

With her resilience and determination, Claire found an apartment online, applied, and was quickly accepted. Through Interfaith’s Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) program and Bezos funding, she was able to secure move-in assistance and obtain a safe and permanent home for her family.

Elyse Simon is a single mother with one child. She had been housed but her lease was ending, and she chose not to renew as the cost was increasing. She didn’t have enough saved up to rent a new place, so the family began staying in Elyse’s car. With the Day One Families fund, Interfaith covered first month’s rent and deposit, allowing the family to secure housing.

Gwen Lawerence is a single mother with three children. After her divorce, Gwen and her children moved in with the mother’s sister. However, they were asked to leave because the house wasn’t big enough to accommodate the family. They started staying between friends, family, and her vehicle.

Gwen came to Interfaith seeking services and was referred to family housing by a basic needs case manager. She found a place she was interested in and needed assistance in securing housing. With the Day One Families fund, Interfaith covered Gwen’s first month’s rent and deposit. The fund also covered the mother’s car registration to ensure she could continue to go to work and drive her children to school.

Cami Wilkerson is a single mother of three young boys. The family had been living with the mother’s sister but was asked to leave due to space limitations. They came to Interfaith seeking housing assistance while they were living from the family’s vehicle. Cami already had an apartment in mind and was very hopeful, as the property manager was very flexible with her. The family was required to have a cosigner because she didn’t meet the income requirements. She was quickly approved and able to move into their new home shortly after.

With the Day One Families fund, Interfaith covered Cami’s security deposit and first month’s rent.

Skye Cameron is a single mother with two children. They began experiencing homelessness after fleeing a domestic violence situation. The family began living in hotels until the mother was connected to Interfaith. She had found a person willing to rent out their property to the mother, but she was struggling to save up for the first month’s rent and deposit. With the Day One Families fund, Interfaith was able to cover the costs, and Skye secured housing for her family.

Maribel Caudillo is a single mother of two children. One of her children endured trauma that required continuous healthcare appointments. Maribel’s need to address this situation forced her to take time off work, decreasing her income. With bills stacking up, Maribel was unable to pay their SDGE bill, breaking their payment agreement plan and requiring her to pay the full amount. As a result, the company shut off their service, and the family went without utilities for two weeks.

Maribel’s landlord recommended she come to Interfaith for assistance. Together, she and her case manager worked to improve her finances by identifying unnecessary expenses and reactivating county benefits such as healthcare and food support. With the People for People fund, Interfaith covered Maribel’s SDGE bill, reactivating her utilities and reducing her financial burden. With her newfound stability, Maribel is able to focus on her employment and her daughter’s health.

Alexandra Martin and her thirteen-year-old son fell into homelessness after Alexandra’s adult daughter, whom they had been living with, moved out of state. The mother and son were unable to find a new place right away, so they have been living from their vehicle since July. She receives steady income from employment, social security, and CalWorks.

With no prior evictions, she was quickly approved for an apartment in North County. Interfaith’s Day One Families fund covered the family’s first month’s rent and deposit, allowing them to focus on moving in and regaining self-sufficiency.

Nadia Petrov and her 5-month-old baby fled domestic violence from their home country and recently arrived in the country. She was residing at a local women’s shelter when she was connected to Interfaith. She wanted to find housing for herself and her baby but had a limited income from CalTrans and food stamps, equaling a little over $1,000 a month.

She learned that the shelter she was residing in had a transitional housing program. With the Bezos Day One Families fund, Nadia had her security deposit and first month’s rent covered and she secured housing.

Nadia is a very resourceful and intelligent woman. She is attending a local college to learn English and integrate more into the community and find employment.

Michelle Jennings is a single mother with two children. The family moved to North County after fleeing domestic violence. Michelle risked everything to make sure she and her children were safe. He had even removed her work tools to prevent her ability to become self-sufficient and escaping. After escaping, the family faced many challenges. They began experiencing homelessness due to a lack of resources and income. They had tried to stay with family, however, due to the family’s housing situation, they were unable to stay long and transitioned to a shelter.

Michelle worked alongside her case manager and received the work supplies she needed to work as her previous profession. She was able to get employment with benefits, which she had already begun to receive. With the Day One Families Fund, Interfaith paid for Michelle’s deposit, 1^st, and 2^nd months' rent for a new apartment. Michelle and her children were moved in by Interfaith’s Make it a Home program and will receive additional furniture and household items through the agency.

The Herman Family came to Interfaith after being forced to move out of their family home due to an electrical issue which posed a significant fire risk. The family is working with legal aid to resolve their rent balance. Unfortunately, this balance has made the father unable to be approved for any rental applications. The account is strictly under his name, and they are hoping it will be discharged soon.

The family’s creative problem-solving worked around this barrier. The father’s uncle, the mother, and the child would rent an apartment while the father resided with his own dad until he qualifies to move in. Although the family is disappointed that they will be temporarily separated, the family is committed to their stability and willing to make this sacrifice to provide a safe home for their son.

The family was unable to save money for a new place due to them unexpectedly needing to move out and live from hotels. With Resolution Strategies, Interfaith helped the family move into a new apartment and regain self-sufficiency.

Annabelle Fleming and her teenage son, Christian, came to Interfaith for assistance with housing. Annabelle is a veteran who receives her income from veterans’ disability and child support. They have been unhoused since February after Annabelle moved out of state to enroll in a program for veterans with disabilities.

The program unfortunately did not fit her needs, and she came back to California. Annabelle and Christian had nowhere to live upon return and have been unhoused since.

With the One Campaign Family fund, Annabelle and Christian secured housing. They moved into their new apartment on July 25^th, the day after they connected with Interfaith. However, Interfaith was unable to give them the check until August 4^th. Annabelle and her new landlord trusted that Interfaith would deliver the funds.

Interfaith connected Annabelle and Christian with both individual therapy and family therapy. Their situation put a strain on their relationship, especially at this age where Christian is trying to find himself. Interfaith ensured the family can get ongoing support from community partners.

Julie Stone and her son began experiencing homelessness after losing her employment, then their housing. She had been paying out of pocket for hotels and staying with family, when possible.

Julie came to Interfaith seeking assistance and began working on case management services. Since joining, she worked diligently toward boosting her income and raising her credit. Her active dedication toward this goal resulted in her bringing her credit up from the 500s to the 600s, earning a second job, and getting approved for housing.

Through the Day One Families fund, Interfaith was able to provide Julie with move-in assistance to secure housing and continue their journey to regain self-sufficiency.

The Cochran family moved back to San Diego County to be closer to family. The family consists of the mother, the father, the 19-year-old, the 18-year-old, and the 4-year-old. The five of them were living with the mother’s father. However, he resides in a 55+ community and the family were asked to leave. Since then, they have been living out of a hotel.

The mother is employed by a local supermarket and receives In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) benefits. The father is waiting to hear back from job applications he has submitted.

With the Day One Family fund, Interfaith covered the security deposit and first month’s rent for the family’s new apartment. Interfaith also assisted with a 5-night hotel stay while the family awaited move-in.

Trevor Black, his girlfriend, and the girlfriend’s 10-month-old son have been living from their vehicle. Trevor and his girlfriend were struggling with addiction for the past few years, resulting in them losing their housing. However, they have completed one year sober and continue to maintain their sobriety.

Trevor came to Interfaith seeking assistance with housing for his family. The girlfriend is 8 months pregnant with Trevor’s son, and he wants to provide for her and the children. He has no previous evictions and a decent credit score. However, it was difficult for him to find housing due to previous felony convictions from six years ago. Additionally, his income is cash only, so he struggled to provide proof of income for the properties he applied for.

Trevor found housing within North County that fit within his budget. At first, he was denied due to his past convictions. However, the property manager encouraged him to write a letter to the property owners to plead his case, citing how long it has been and the significant improvements he made. The property manager even helped him write the letter. Soon after, his denial was overturned, and he was accepted into the apartment. With the Bezos Day One Family fund, the family received assistance with the deposit and moved in on 9/3/2025.

Candace Lawson has legal guardianship over her younger sister, Sofie. The two of them and Candace’s boyfriend were living with family when they were asked to leave. They began living in hotels, out of their car, and staying with friends.

With no prior evictions, Candace quickly found a new place to live but needed help with first month's rent and deposit. A friend referred her to Interfaith Community Services for assistance. With the Day One Fund, Candace, her boyfriend, and her children were able to move into a new home and continue their path to self-sufficiency.

The Lowry family experienced a series of difficult losses, resulting in them losing their housing. Fortunately, they connected with Interfaith and joined our family shelter for three months. During their time with us, the father was able to work towards his housing goals. Through the Bezos Day One Family funding and partnership with the landlord, the Lowrys secured a two-bedroom two-bathroom apartment in North County.

Jane O’Malley came to Interfaith needing to find a place to live for herself and her 13-year-old son. They had become unhoused after fleeing domestic violence. She had a Section 8 voucher but was still struggling to find housing. She had been in and out of communication with her Case Manager for a couple of months due to personal matters. Recently, she returned stating that her mother had been in the hospital and unfortunately passed away, which set her back looking for housing and employment.

Jane was able to find housing within her budget but did not have the funds to provide the deposit when it was required. However, after confirming that Interfaith would be assisting, the property manager gave an exception to Jane. With the Bezos Day One Family fund, Jane and her son were able to move into an apartment and continue their self-sufficiency journey.
 

Update – 10/6/2025:

Jane reached out to her Interfaith case manager for assistance. She is still housed but has lost her vehicle. She left it parked somewhere for a while and when she returned, she discovered her tires and other auto-parts had been stolen. She had it towed to her new apartment. Her sister in Riverside County has a car she can use, but she needs to find her way up there. She is deciding whether she can repair her car or get the used car from her sister.

Sierra and Nathan Holmes came to Interfaith inquiring about the family shelter. They began living in hotels after Nathan became the sole income provider for the family. Sierra was injured in a work accident, leaving her unable to work. She is awaiting the workers’ compensation payout from the incident.

The Holmes couple has three children, all with disabilities. The oldest is blind in one eye with risk of vision loss in the second, the middle child has a heart condition, and the youngest has autism.

With the Day One Family fund, the family was able to move into permanent housing. Additionally, Interfaith covered the hotel's cost for the final weekend before moving into their new home.

Emily Burgess is a single parent with two of her three children under her care. After fleeing domestic violence, they began living out of her car and a local hotel. She connected with Interfaith asking about the family shelter, but staff diverted her from the program. With the Day One Family fund, Emily secured permanent housing for her and her two children.
 

Emily has no prior evictions and remained employed while unsheltered.

Anne Sinclair, her adult son, and two minor children came to Interfaith Community Services seeking assistance in securing housing. They had been staying with friends and family, and occasionally out of their vehicles. Anne is employed but struggled to find housing due to a previous eviction on her record. After speaking with her Interfaith case manager, she was able to dispute her eviction and get it overturned. With her record being expunged, she was able to secure a three-bedroom apartment for the family. The One Campaign Fund covered the family’s deposit and first month’s rent.

The Perez family was experiencing homelessness due to chronic illnesses in both Aaron, the father, and Mary, the wife and stepmother. They were previously housed and employed but were unable to maintain steady work due to frequent hospitalizations. As a result, they lost their housing and began staying in hotels. Once they used all their savings, they were no longer able to afford hotels and started to sleep in their car.

After living on the streets, the Perez family entered Interfaith’s family shelter. Here, the family attended regular case management meetings. Mary opened a credit builder credit card and began working as an Instacart delivery driver. This employment was ideal for her as she could control her hours while managing her chronic illness. Halfway through their stay, Mary self-exited due to feeling overwhelmed and she took the car.

Aaron found employment with a construction company. He diligently built his savings, putting aside $180 minimum weekly and providing proof to his case manager. He saved money through a cundina in Mexico. He received a lump sum which he used to pay off large debts and buy a used car.

Aaron then worked on getting custody of his children. Additionally, he worked with his case manager to get IEP paperwork for the children. Their first language is Spanish, so they were struggling in school. The case manager helped Aaron understand the paperwork and the process.

Aaron also disclosed to his case manager that he struggled with mental health issues. He put in the effort to get a referral from his primary doctor for a therapist.

Aaron and Mary applied and were approved for a two-bedroom apartment in North County. Through the Day One Campaign, they were able to move in shortly after.

Update: 6/25/2025

Shortly after moving in, Aaron learned that Mary had been cheating on him, leaving his family back to one income. Then, he had emergency surgery on his liver and was out of work without pay. The Day One Campaign covered his rent for one month, preventing him and his children from becoming homeless again.

Elena and Joe Gomez joined us at the family shelter in the fall of 2024 along with their two daughters, ages 12 and 8, and one son, age 6.  Bad credit was keeping them from securing quality jobs and permanent housing. A breaking down van, which they were living out of, made it difficult for the family to get to work and school reliably. Though they knew the journey ahead was not going to be easy, Elena and Joe knew it would be worth it, for the sake of brightening their children’s horizons.

After settling into their room at the family shelter, Elena and Joe got to work with their case manager on establishing more stability for the family, saving money, and finding better jobs.   

Early in their time at the shelter, Interfaith was able to assist the Gomez family to:

• Get their needed van repairs
• Enroll their 3 children in school and ensure daily attendance
• Improve their credit score by +200 points
• Secure 2 part-time jobs for Elena, one in retail and one at a school cafeteria
• Find a stable job for Joe in the construction sector

Now, with their pressing daily needs covered, the family shifted their attention to a more daunting task: finding permanent housing. Following weeks of denied applications and heightening discouragement, Elena walked into yet another apartment office seeking what she called “a holiday miracle”. Fortunately, after speaking with the apartment office manager and sharing her family’s story, the manager decided to waive the application fee! After diligently completing the application, they were approved for a lease.  

With connections forged by their family shelter case manager, and through tireless efforts of the Gomez family, the family of five received:

• A waived application fee for housing, ultimately resulting in a new home
• A 2-bedroom apartment in Vista
• First month’s rent and housing deposit, provided by Interfaith  

Today, you can find the Gomez family living out of their new apartment, building off the foundations they laid while at the family shelter. Elena and Joe maintain their jobs. The children are excelling in school, making friends and catching up on their studies. Their older daughter just returned from a fun and adventurous time at 5^th grade camp.

This family of five has encountered significant struggles over the past two years. After the loss of their young son, this family was paralyzed with grief, compounded by an injury to their father which prevented him from being able to work and eventually leading to them losing their home.

For two years, this family lived out of their vehicle. They then connected with Interfaith, moved into our Family Shelter, and began the hard work, in partnership with their Interfaith case manager, of regaining their independence and stability.

Though Interfaith, the family has received:

• Therapy for the entire family to help them work through their traumatic past
• Identifying and applying for housing
• Deposit and first month’s rent
• Helping them understand budgets and credit, raising their credit score significantly
• Furniture for their new home

After being on a waitlist for several months, this family was approved and has moved into a 3-bedroom, 2-bath low-income apartment that provides a safe, stable environment for their two teenage daughters and their 8-year-old son who has epilepsy. 

Despite their difficult situation, mom has been persevering in the pursuit of her educational goals and is in her final year of college. When she graduates with a bachelor’s degree next year, she plans to become a counselor to assist people who have undergone similar challenges. She’d also like to become a policy advisor to share her experiences and advocate for people in need.

In addition to her college courses, Mom works part-time, and Dad recently recovered from his injury and is once again working full-time. 

Alexandra entered Interfaith’s family shelter in October of 2024, fleeing domestic violence and 5 years of living on the streets. She brought her two young babies, who were born into homelessness. With a safe, warm place to sleep at night and dependable nutrition for her twins, Alexandra could look toward the future and choose a brighter path. 

In case management, Alexandra mentioned that she has a grandma and Aunt in Iowa. Alexandra quickly came to the realization that reconnecting with her relatives would be the best option for their futures. The case manager helped contact and organize a virtual meeting with Alexandra’s family so that they could reconnect; Over time, they began discussing the possibility of Alexandra temporarily moving in with her grandma. Not only would this allow Alexandra to have a stable home, far removed from her abusive past, but she could count on help with childcare, tend to her own mental recovery, and find a job right away. 

The arrangement was agreed on, and the bus tickets were booked. Case managers provided her family with food and other basic needs for their journey. In December, the family successfully made the trip, and they’re off to a fresh start in their new city, supported by family.

Bree connected with Interfaith for the first time 5 years ago. She and her 5-year-old daughter, Hope, were fleeing domestic violence. After obtaining a place to stay with Interfaith’s Permanent Supportive Housing Program, she immediately began charting the course forward with her Case Manager.

Together with the long-term support of her Case Manager, her faith, and your unwavering support, Bree has:

Gotten her driving record expunged and regained her driver’s license

Diligently worked to pay off her debt and ultimately saved up to purchase a car
Result: Bree can count on reliable, safe transportation to and from work and her daughter’s school

Transferred from community college to a 4-year university
Result: Bree Graduated with a degree in Sociology, drastically expanding her career prospects 

Today, Bree maintains stable employment and housing. She prioritizes focusing on her mental health in order to stay on track. She is described as resilient, good-natured and a devoted mother. In her free time, you can find her volunteering at church, reading non-fiction, and participating in support groups. Hope, who is now in 4^th grade, enjoys playing outside with friends, arts and crafts, playing Roblox, and watching movies with her mom.

Martina, Jeremy, and their teenage daughter Francesca were housed stably, with both parents working full-time. Martina became pregnant and complications required her to take a leave of absence from her physically demanding job.

Soon after, Jeremy suffered a series of strokes that caused a dramatic loss of vision and mobility. He was placed into a rehab center and the family ended up losing their home. They eventually found shelter in a shed on a friend’s property. The shed had no running water or electricity and was very cold.

Martina reached out to Interfaith and shared that neither her nor her daughter was able to shower or have a bed to sleep in. The high-risk pregnancy made it especially difficult for Martina, and Francesca was suffering from stress of the situation as well as worry that her friends would find out her circumstances.

Interfaith’s case manager was able to get the family immediately into Interfaith’s Family Shelter. The following week, Martina was able to get a less stressful job that she could work while pregnant, as much as her doctor would allow. Now, with Jeremy back and taking care of the baby while Martina and Francesca work full time, and the family is once again stably housed.

The following is an email update the family’s case manager received: “You literally saved my family’s lives. I went back to school and became a certified sexual abuse counselor and domestic violence counselor and a registered behavioral technician to help teach children with special needs. We now have an apartment and a car. We wouldn’t have been able to do any of that without you, you are the biggest blessing.” 

Andrea came to Interfaith after becoming homeless with her two children. She had fled domestic violence and was living in her car while on the waitlist for a safe parking program.

Andrea was employed full-time as a manager at her company and could afford monthly rent but lacked the savings to provide a rental deposit. Her Interfaith case manager worked to help Andrea find an apartment. Once she was approved, Interfaith’s Make-It-A-Home program provided move-in assistance and furnished her apartment with community donations. Interfaith funding also paid for her rental deposit as well as one month’s rent, to allow Andrea the opportunity to start a savings account. Andrea and her children are now safely and stably housed. 

Shaina was raised in what she describes as a “tough upbringing.” She became involved with drugs and alcohol at the age of 15 and had her first child at the age of 17. When COVID hit, Shaina lost her job. It was only a matter of time until she and her 3 children were living out of their car. Despite reaching out to everyone she knew, things felt hopeless for the future of her family.

Upon connecting with Interfaith in early 2023, she was matched with a case manager who helped her to:

• Achieve sobriety
• Secure housing
• Regain stable employment

Today, Shaina, her husband, and their three children have achieved self-sufficiency, and she is excited to announce that she just received a promotion at work! Watch Shaina’s story in her own words here.

Today our prisons and jails are meant to be used for rehabilitating individuals and preparing them for re-integration into society. But what if that rehabilitative work was already happening somewhere else, would it make sense to move those individuals to a jail to restart the rehabilitative process? That’s the decision a judge had to make when one of the families at Interfaith’s shelter had their day in court.

When a family of 6 entered Interfaith’s shelter a few months ago, Dad, Eric and Mom, Betty had some pending legal issues, but that didn’t stop them from immediately working to turn their lives around. Soon after finding Interfaith, this family was connected to therapists who helped them navigate issues that could lead to trouble with the law. They found childcare to begin their employment search, attended life skills and group workshops to learn valuable lessons and receive essential information they had never previously had access to. Their four children were also connected with mental health resources, and the youngest was enrolled into an at-home Transitional Kindergarten program to help mom and them bond more. With a new perspective on how education can help shape your future, mom also enrolled in college and dad found steady employment when he had a previous history of being unable to do so.

They finally have a savings account and it’s growing every payday! This is the first time in their lives that the Jacobs family says they have had this mindset. Lastly, they’re also working to increase their credit score to prepare for life outside Interfaith’s shelter. Thanks to the family’s attorney, who presented the judge with all of this information and who highlighted the key role Interfaith’s shelter has played in the Jacobs family’s journey, they saw no reason to pull them apart and send anyone to jail. Many charges were drastically reduced, and the family was allowed to continue their remarkable progress alongside our dedicated team.

When mom Josie and her two boys aged 6 & 14 found Interfaith’s family shelter, they were in a unique situation. Josie had been suffering from a decades-long law infraction on her record that had prevented her from obtaining full-time employment. Her boys also needed a stable place that would give them the opportunity to be kids again after couch surfing for some time.

From the start of their stay with us, it was clear that if Josie and her boys were to attain self-sufficiency, Josie would need to access full-time employment. Thus, began work on the family’s first obstacle, processing paperwork and applications that would help expunge Josie’s record of prior convictions. Our staff also began sending out letters to people who could help with Josie’s case, advocating for the family, and they made sure to include that they were model residents at our shelter.

While at Interfaith’s shelter, this family was able to save up money even though Josie was only able to work part time. They also benefitted from a safe space where the kids could get caught up in school and attended workshops that would help them understand and overcome the stigma of being homeless. The process of getting Josie’s record updated to help her secure full-time employment took some months and unfortunately coincided with their 6 months stay limit at our shelter, but our staff never gives up on our families. They were instantly connected with other programs at Interfaith that helped Josie pay for a stay at a hotel, although she had to use some of the savings she had built up while at the shelter.

It wasn’t long after exiting our shelter that our team received the great news that Josie’s legal record had been updated and she could now transition to full-time employment, which she immediately did. Now that Josie was working full-time, our staff could work with more of our landlord partners to find and secure housing for the family. In September, we’re happy to share, this family moved into a place of their own and Interfaith even helped fully furnish it!

Although Josie was working hard to keep a roof over her family’s head, the mistakes of her past were preventing her from achieving her goals. Thanks to friends like you, Josie and her boys had time to work with our team to overcome obstacles and most importantly, find a second chance at self-sufficiency.

Marianna was mother to Becca when she experienced domestic violence by her partner. After fleeing the relationship, Marianna met and married Troy. This family of 5 (girls ages 4, 2, and newborn) were experiencing homelessness and living in their car. Troy worked full-time during this period but they were unable to afford housing.

To provide stability for their family, Troy decided to register for the military. Around this time, the family was referred to the Family Shelter and entered our program. Through case management, Troy and Marianna have been working diligently to improve their credit scores, which helped become eligible for more housing. They have also begun the process of signing Becca and Tasha up for preschool. Troy and Marianna attended and participated in our workshops here at the shelter to improve their life skills.

Interfaith provided the family with:

• Help finding childcare/preschool
• Employment search
• Moving costs and supplies

Staying in Interfaith’s Family Shelter allowed the family to save for:

• Rental deposit and first month’s rent
• Car loan and car insurance payments,
• Money for food when they first move in
• Clothing furniture, housing goods, baby supplies

Troy recently entered basic training and Marianna has secured stable housing for her and her girls while he is away. Marianna is currently getting her GED and taking child development classes with the goal of becoming a teacher.

The Soto family consists of Mom, Dad, and four children ages 18, 14, 2, and 7 months. They were all living in a single room. Dad was working construction full-time but his hours were greatly reduced as a result of this winter’s rains. He was able to find and currently works full-time at a restaurant, while Mom is full-time with Amazon. 

In February 2024, this family, on the brink of eviction, came to Interfaith for help. In the “it takes a village” spirit, their Interfaith case manager worked with another local nonprofit to help the family find, apply, and pay first month’s rent on an apartment. 

Your support of this family also provided:

• Gas vouchers to help Mom and Dad get to work and medical appointments
• Food, hygiene, and baby supplies (diapers, wipes, etc)
• Move-in assistance including furniture and basic household items
• Ongoing case management

The Sotos are now comfortably housed and their Interfaith case manager continues to check in and make sure the entire family is stable and children are thriving. Through the parents’ full-time employment and their case manager’s help to enroll in govermnent programs including like MediCal and CalFresh, the family is once again well on their way to regaining full self-sufficiency. 

John was living on the streets last year, battling addiction with seemingly no way out until he found his way to Interfaith Community services. After a few weeks of finding a consistent food source through our free sack lunch program, he trusted our staff enough to ask for help. Once connected to our Recovery and Wellness center, their journey towards overcoming addiction began.

After some months in Interfaith’s Addiction and Recovery program he was gainfully employed and informing our staff that, for the first time in a long time, he was excited about his future again. John eventually graduated from the program, and while he was making great progress, he still needed a place to stay with his family while saving up for a deposit on a place of their own. This is when we connected them to the Family Shelter you helped create.

At the Family Shelter they’ve been able to access resources such as childcare, support from behavioral health teams, employment support, and apply for health benefits for their family. Every day, our team works to adequately prepared them for a life of self-sufficiency once again. Now, we are happy to say this family is nearly exiting Interfaith’s programs and services and they wanted to share their journey with the people who were there for them when it all seemed impossible and hopeless, YOU.

You can see their journey firsthand through this impactful video and remember that this is only possible, thanks to the network of support you create through your kindness, generosity, and compassion. Thank you!

Gary, a single father and his son, Eli, were struggling on the streets while living out of their vehicle. Due to Gary’s overnight work schedule with long hours, dropping Eli off at school was not always possible. When Eli did make it to school, he was often tired, having been unable to sleep comfortably in their small vehicle overnight.

Upon entering Interfaith’s family shelter, our team quickly worked to set up a transportation schedule for Eli to attend school, getting picked up and dropped off through a local program. Our staff then learned that they had family in another state who may be able to help them, although they had not spoken in some time. Interfaith’s behavioral health team helped Gary realize that it’s ok to reach out to family when in need and that it was a decision that could greatly benefit his and Eli’s future.

Once connected with family again, our team helped repair fractured bonds and Gary and Eli’s family agreed to take them in and support them getting back on their feet. Before their move, our staff helped connect Gary to employment that was set to start once they moved to the new state. They also supported with making sure their vehicle was in working order and that their registration and insurance were current before making the move. Interfaith also provided gas vouchers alongside meals and snacks, ensuring they would get to their destination safely.

While preparing for their new adventure, Eli found it difficult to leave the new family and relationships he had found at our Family Shelter, especially since his birthday was coming up a week after they were supposed to leave. Eli was heartbroken that he would not be able to celebrate it with everyone at the shelter. To his surprise however, our staff had planned an early birthday party for him which he joyfully celebrated with everyone at the Family Shelter before embarking on his new journey with dad. After their celebration Gary and Eli said they were “nervous but excited” for their new start.

That’s not all though, now at their new residence, our staff continue to check in on them to make sure they are meeting their goals and remain on the path to self-sufficiency.

It’s difficult to predict when we might need help and support and even more so, from where it will come from. From all of us at Interfaith Community Services, thank you for making our work possible.