Home #1

Tania lives in Home 1 with her adorable 7-yr-old son. The family was referred to us by Community Action Marin.

In spite of the fact that she is permanently disabled, Tania manages a home-based business of providing party decorations and creating personalized gifts (wreaths, clothing, charcuterie boards, you name it!) Her business has been running reasonably well enough to cover rent and other basics, but not enough to furnish her apartment, where she and her son have been living for over a year.

Tania is so looking forward to having a comfortable home, with a real dining table, desk for her son to do homework, and brand new, comfortable beds to sleep on.

The furnishing of this home was fully sponsored by a couple of donors who wish to remain anonymous.

Both Tania and her son literally squealed with delight when they saw their newly furnished home. The 7-yr-old ran to the sofa and bounced with happiness. "It's a home! It's a home!' he said. He then made his way to his brand new bean bag chair and sank in.

Tania was overwhelmed with gratitude, “You guys are amazing,” she said (more than once!)  Before we left, she gave each volunteer a small gift bag to thank us.

Home #2

Amanda was referred to us by Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity (AHO), a Marin non-profit that helps homeless youth. Amanda was homeless in her late teens when she began getting help from AHO. 

For more than a decade, she has been able to support herself – and her now 15-year-old son, who suffers from emotional/mental health issues; she works up to three jobs at a time! Her son’s father has been out of the picture. At the moment, Amanda supports herself by being a caregiver to her father, in exchange for help with the rent. She is also a freelance artist, creating business signs and menu boards..

Amanda was living in what she called a “dilapidated” apartment until mid-January, when the roof was almost blown off during a storm. The apartment was totally flooded, with pools of water everywhere. Amanda was only able to salvage a few items.

She asked the landlord if she could move into one of the empty apartments in his building, but he refused. Since the apartment wasn’t providing shelter for her and her son, she moved out in mid-January and began couch surfing while looking for an affordable place to live. 

In spite of the condition of her old apartment, the landlord charged full rent for January and February. Needless to say, she is working with an attorney to address the situation. 

In the meantime, she is thrilled to have found a small apartment with a sturdy roof. However, virtually all of her furniture and possessions were destroyed by the flooding, so their new apartment has been basically empty.