6/20/2026 – Welcoming Event – Marin

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Diana is a mom of two girls. Mila is 8 and Ava is 15. They live in Home 1 and they were referred to us by North Marin Community Services Their household includes a small dog, King, and a cat named Sherlock. The girls attend local schools, and Diana works at a school in Marin. They have struggled with a non-responsive landlord in their current apartment. One of the bedrooms was especially contaminated with mold, so much so that Ava was hospitalized for related health issues. The girls have been sleeping on one sofa for the last few months. Ava is ready for her own room! (It’s a teenage girl thing, right!) They feel blessed to move into a clean, new space. Because they cannot take much from their existing apartment, Diana is immensely grateful for our help in making their new empty apartment a welcoming home.

Also recommended to us through North Marin Community Services, Home 2 is a blended family consisting of a single mom, her two small daughters, and her two sisters. Originally from Guatemala, Nora was the victim of domestic abuse, and after escaping the situation, she has been able to find an apartment big enough for all these strong women to live together. Having no furniture to bring to their new home, Nora’s first request was for a desk so that her kindergarten student has a place to proudly do her homework! The 3- and 6-year-old will be sharing a bedroom with their mom… who we hope likes princesses and pink as much as they do!

Will and his family live in Home 3. Things were going well for Will, his wife Gloria, and their three children: a 9-year-old boy, a 5-year-old girl, and their 2-year-old son. They lived in a small but comfortable apartment when a major hardship struck—the unit below them caught fire. It spread to their apartment, and between the fire and smoke damage they lost everything. Luckily, they all escaped safely. With nowhere to go, the family of five ended up in a one-room motel for months. Finally, last month they moved into a 1-bedroom apartment. It’s a new start, but it is completely empty. They have no beds to sleep in, no kitchen goods to cook with, and no furniture or table to share meals at. After being referred to us by Parents Services Project, Welcoming Home has stepped in and will now be changing that. We are working to create a comfortable, well-equipped home for the family so they can begin again.

Home 4 is where Jody and her son live, and they were referred to us by Gilead House. After spending much of her childhood moving from shelter to shelter, Jody eventually found her way to Marin at 12 years old—a place that quietly became home, even through years of uncertainty and personal hardship. Now a mother to both a 30-year-old son and another son nearing the same age she was when she first arrived here, she has spent decades building a life centered around caring for others, often moving and reshaping her own path to support the people she loves. Jody’s experiences growing up instilled in her a deep compassion for children facing housing insecurity, which led her to work at Gilead House, helping families navigate circumstances similar to her own upbringing. Outside of work, she teaches at a yoga studio, bringing the same sense of patience, grounding, and care into her community. Jody is finally ready to put down permanent roots in Marin after years of starting over for the sake of others. For her and her 12-year-old son, this home is more than stability—it’s a full-circle moment in the place that first made her feel safe.