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Ben lives in Home 1, he was referred to us by Episcopal Community Services After looking out of a porthole for the last few decades, Ben decided it was finally time to regain his land legs. He’s been living and working on charter boats since he was 16, yet the coldness of the ocean has never touched his heart. Ben is a kind man filled with stories of his hard-fought battles to stay at sea and continue a 300-year legacy amongst sailors like himself. When asked about his favorite charter destination, he didn’t hesitate—nothing comes close to home. The port of Sausalito has always been his haven by the sea, and when he first saw the view of the Petaluma River from his new apartment, he said he felt grateful that he could continue to call Marin “home.” Ben’s first order of business after settling in is to fix the old wooden boardwalk that leads out to the water—when he’s not out crabbing or fishing, that is. For Ben, this home marks the start of something new, anchored in the place he loves most. Many thanks to The Outdoor Art Club for sponsoring Ben’s Welcoming!
Lily is in Home 2 and was referred to us by Ritter Center. She was born in Marin and went to high school in San Rafael. Life hasn’t always been easy and she knows some of her decisions weren’t always the right ones as they led to losing contact with her three adult children. She has been faced with difficult circumstances and just plain bad luck. In June her apartment was destroyed by fire and she lost all her belongings, with the exception of a plant that she’s had for many years! She has her dog who has been her beloved companion for 16 years and hopefully he will be able to live with her in her new apartment. She luckily was compensated financially for the fire and has managed to buy a car. It has taken several monthsto find the apartment during which time she had been living in a tent. Perseverance is everything. She has worked very hard to reconnect with her kids and is finally in a good place there. Her daughter is in the throes of buying a home and Lily had pride written all over her face as she told us this. Now, she too has a roof over head, and is so appreciative for the home Welcoming Home is about to help create for her. Many thanks to The Outdoor Art Club for sponsoring Lily’s Welcoming!
Rachel and her family were referred to us by North Marin Community Services; they are now in Home 3. Rachel never wanted to leave her six children, but when work dried up in her hometown, she made a painful choice. She left the kids with her parents and moved away to work for a family who promised steady pay. The money helped keep her children fed and clothed, but the family she worked for was harsh, had unkind words, worked her long hours, and treated her with no respect. When things grew unbearable, her church stepped in. They helped her leave that situation safely and connected her with a job cleaning house in San Rafael. For the first time in a long while, Rachel felt she might finally be building a new life. But just as she found her footing, tragedy struck: her parents passed away suddenly, and her six children had no one else. Rachel brought them to San Rafael immediately. She managed to secure a small one-bedroom apartment—cramped, but a miracle—but it was completely empty. No beds, no table, nothing for her children to call their own. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Novatny Family, Welcoming Home can now give Rachel and her family a warm welcoming home to call their own.
Home 4 is where Marie will be living, and she was referred to us by the Ritter Center. She is overjoyed to be moving into a one-bedroom apartment — a space that will truly be her own. Marie previously worked in pharmacies and lived independently. She married four years ago, but her husband passed away in March, and his children inherited all of his assets, including the car they shared. Unable to afford the rent on her own, Marie moved out and stayed in a hotel for a month. When her funds ran out, she was able to move into Jonathan’s Place, a shelter in Novato. Marie now has no belongings, so we are especially looking forward to fully furnishing her new home and helping her make a fresh start.
