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Home 1 is where Ana and Felipe live with their 2 children, they were referred to us by North Marin Community Services. When this family found a one-bedroom home, the first thing they did was to scour 2nd hand stores to find a table and chairs, so that the family could gather for meals every day and talk about their experiences and challenges. Ana, Felipe, and their two children, Felix (19) and Yolanda (13) moved to Marin from Peru 3 years ago. The father, Felipe, is a chef and Ana has been working as a housekeeper. Their previous home was with two other families and was not a good place for the family. Both children are in school and thriving. Ana is taking English classes and is hoping to work with her husband in the restaurant when her English has improved. When we asked Ana about her 5-year goals for her children, she said she wanted them to continue to do well in school and to appreciate each other and the importance of family.

Natalie and her family are in Home 2 and were referred to us by North Marin Community Services. Just three days before Christmas a devastating apartment fire took everything from this single mother and her two teenage sons. Fortunately, they were able to escape safely, but lost all of their belongings. With the help of North Marin Community Services, they have moved into a new apartment but are starting over with no furniture, beds or basic household items. Natalie, originally from Mexico, has lived in the U.S. for over 20 years. She supports her family as an In-Home Support Services caregiver for an elderly client. Her older son is almost 17 years old, a junior in high school taking AP classes and plays Lacrosse. Her 15 year old son is Autistic, attends special day programs and receives regular therapy at home. Despite the tragedy, the family is working hard to rebuild and create a sense of home again. Any support will make a meaningful difference during this difficult time.

On Saturday, February 21st, our team will be furnishing a small 1 bedroom apartment for Cecilia, a single mother of 3, who, in early 2023 was in a very serious car accident that left her with weeks of recovery in the hospital and injuries with periodical seizures that will likely challenge her for the rest of her life. She and her family live in Home 3 and were referred to us by Homeward Bound of Marin. Unable to work, Cecilia and her children were soon evicted from their apartment and sadly, due to a lack of storage, lost most of their modest belongings. Although Cecilia was able to move in with a friend for the past year, the situation was not sustainable and once again she and her children found themselves without a home. Thankfully, this time Cecilia was referred to Homeward Bound and through the good work of her caring case manager she was finally able to secure a place to live. With much relief, Cecilia can now concentrate on taking care of her children as she works to get strong enough to go back to work as a healing therapist. Although Cecilia is extremely grateful for this opportunity to get her life back in order, her family’s possessions are few. To this end, Welcoming Home is honored to assist Cecilia in the creation of a warm living environment that she can call her own.

Laura has secured housing after many difficult and often unsafe living situations, she lives in Home 4. She is a young woman who previously tried living with roommates, but those arrangements repeatedly became unhealthy and unstable. Eventually, she was forced to live in her car. While navigating ongoing mental health challenges, Marin Health and Human Services was able to help her secure a room. She is grateful to have a space of her own and has shared that she finally feels safe.

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‘Ann and Bill’ lived in an RV for the last 8 years. They have 7 grown children and one 2 year old  grandchild. They are close with their family but years ago fell on hard times. Living check to check, they could not afford the storage unit and lost all of their belongings. With the help of COTS Petaluma, they were able to get into housing. They are both retired now. Ann from 17 years as an RV technician and Bill, as a manager at Safeway and as a roofer. They have a tiny little dog named Bear and a boxer named Jasper. They are excited to have a fresh start in Petaluma which has been home base for many years.

This Welcoming is being generously sponsored by Jill Hill, retired Coldwell Banker realtor Their support will help us provide a basic starter kit of essentials to the family right away, then to collect and install donated furniture and other household items, purchase brand-new beds for the them and have all items delivered by professional movers from various donors to the client’s home.