Home 1
Home 1 is where Amanda lives; she was referred to us by North Marin Community Services.
Amanda is a divorced woman with a serious visual condition that prevents her from driving and limits her ability to secure a full-time job. She is also hearing impaired and has been in and out of homelessness for several years since a head injury in 2014.
In the past, Amanda has worked as a classroom aide for deaf and hearing impaired children and those with other special needs. She is currently looking for similar work at a school or center within a commutable distance from her new apartment.
For enjoyment, Amanda exercises her artistic talents doing art projects with paints and art pencils, making bracelets, and woodworking. She also has a special fondness for the beach, boogie boarding, and surfing.
Having a furnished apartment would provide a stable foundation for Amanda to begin her life anew.
Return Home
When Amanda arrived at the front door of her apartment, her expression said it all. She was clearly delighted and overwhelmed by what she saw; for the next several minutes, she slowly walked from room to room, quietly declaring “Wonderful! Wonderful!” while looking at every piece of new furniture, art, décor, and practical item.
“Oh, the books!” she exclaimed when she spotted the two books about art and Marin scenery on the coffee table.
Most meaningful to Amanda was the collage of family photos in the bedroom that one of the volunteers had thoughtfully created for her. She pointed out family members to us as she moved in closer to see it.
Her gratitude was reflected by the hugs we received as we prepared to leave, along with a heartfelt, “Thank you so very much! This is amazing!”
Home 2
Lorena and her husband, along with their two children, are from Guatemala. In their home country, despite the difficulties of the pandemic, they were managing to support their family with a small food stall.
Unfortunately, they became victims of gang extortion; her husband was forced to leave the country. Lorena tried to follow; after several attempts, including being separated from the children, they were finally reunited as a family.
For the last two years, all four were living in a single room at a family members’ house. Through the efforts of North Marin Community Services they were thrilled to secure a small, two-bedroom apartment. Unfortunately, the only furnishings they had was one old mattress; the kids were sleeping on the floor.
Their son, almost 12, is excited about starting at the local middle school and is very interested in learning more about the planets and our solar system. The daughter, who just celebrated her 5th birthday, loves pink and all things “princess” related.
Return Home
When the family walked in the door to their newly furnished apartment, they were overwhelmed at the transformation from an empty home to the nicely outfitted rooms, tailored especially for them. One look at their expressions as they moved from room to room said it all!
The little girl loved her Princess bedroom theme and was so delighted to have a dresser with her clothes neatly folded in the drawers! She flung herself around our legs and hugged us all.
Her big brother got the planetary theme he wanted and said “I feel like this must be someone else’s home!"
Both kids were super excited by the set of Legos donated by Pass the Bricks.
Mom and Dad could hardly believe they now had a kitchen table and chairs for family meals, a recliner for dad, and mom’s favorite colors in their bedroom and living room.
The tiny, rescued kitten, Pantera Negra, has her own, specially appointed cage, and is growing, thriving, and well loved.
Home 3
Ruby and her three children live in Home 3. Having never known her birth parents, Ruby spent her entire childhood and adolescence living in the Marin County Foster Care System. She moved from one location to the next, at times being abused. Like so many children in foster care, she did her best to adapt to a way of life that was extremely stressful and vulnerable.
At the age of 18, she aged out of the program and was completely on her own. Although she briefly attended The College of Marin, with little financial support or crucial positive role models to turn to for life guidance, Ruby soon gave up. Over the course of the upcoming years, she would go on to have three children while working odd jobs to support them.
Providing her family with a stable home has been extremely challenging. With local shelters as her only safety net, Ruby and her children have transitioned in and out of them often. Thankfully, that has now changed.
Through the good works of Episcopal Community Services, Ruby has qualified for affordable housing and can finally provide her girls with a safe home to put down roots while she builds her growing business as a professional Dog Walker.
Welcoming Home is honored for the opportunity to assist this family, along with our donors, in the creation of a warm and comfortable environment that they can call home.
Return Home
As they walked through the door, the reaction from this family said it all. At first, as each took in their new surroundings, they were speechless. Once the reality set in that this new living space was actually theirs, the excitement began to grow and quickly became contagious.
The two youngest daughters ran straight away to see their new bedroom and we all followed. “I’ve always wanted a desk!” the eight-year-old said. The four-year-old opened and closed almost every drawer in the room and then quietly began to look through the new picture books donated by Friends of Larkspur Library that were left out for her to discover. Both girls couldn't believe they had each received a set of Legos from Pass the Bricks.
As Ruby watched her daughters explore every inch of their beautiful new bedroom, she was absolutely beaming.
Walking through the rest of the apartment, with hand on heart, Ruby could not stop thanking us. “The girls will be starting school in a few days,” she said. “A home of our own is going to make such a difference for them. Words cannot express how truly grateful we are.”
Home 4
Senalat and Dwight are in Home 4. They have an adorable 18-month-old daughter who is a bundle of energy. The family was referred to us by Homeward Bound.
Due to chronic pain issues, the couple has lived in their car and stayed in friends’ homes for the last couple of years. The new baby posed yet another challenge, but one that led them to finally resolve their health issues and focus on establishing a stable life for the family. Both are finally in good health.
Senalat wants to be a nurse and eventually work in pediatrics as a Nurse Practitioner. She will be applying to a nursing program in the fall and is excited for this new life she has been given.
Dwight has two more classes until he receives his Associate Degree in Science, and then will work to complete his Business Administration degree through College of Marin.
Their toddler is already fascinated with life and loves every second she can explore the world, learn, and leave her mark on it. She is already intrigued by science and has the kindest heart - sharing her toys with anyone. “She is one of the strongest and smartest one-and-a-half-year olds in California 😊,” says her Dad.
Return Home
The couple was thrilled when they saw their furnished place. "This is a real home," Senalat said. The adorable toddler loved her room, sitting down to "read" one of her new books donated by Friends of Larkspur Library as soon as we left. The next day, we received a text from Dwight. "We wanted to send a follow up text to say thank you, especially with how much this means to us. We never thought we would be honored enough to be a participant in a program like this. For the first time in our entire lives, we can finally call a place home. Thank you for making that possible. You guys did an outstanding job."
The truth is, it is we who are honored to be able to give families like this, who are working so hard to set out on a new path, a leg up. A very heartfelt thanks to Sandie Schmaier for sponsoring the furnishing of this family's home.
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