Jacob and Chelsea, along with their three children, arrived at Haven in 2021. While at Haven, their children attended school, and Chelsea and Jacob worked on their goals of finding stable employment and housing.
They attended parenting and financial literacy classes, attended family activities, and utilized the resources at Haven during their stay.
A chance encounter gives Rene, a father of six, a chance to rebuild his life.
Rene was driving to an appointment when he passed Haven for Hope’s 22-acre campus near downtown. He slowed down to ask people walking by about Haven and if they knew if Haven took families.
What Rene didn’t know was that the people who stopped when he pulled up were from Haven’s leadership team. “Yes, Haven does take in families,” they enthusiastically replied, and they told him what documents he would need to bring for enrollment.
Later that day, Rene returned to Haven with his children and enrolled in Haven’s Family Resource program, a 92-bed shelter that provides meals, clothing, necessities, and, most importantly, employment and housing resources.
Nate lived on the streets off and on for more than 15 years. Our Outreach Manager, Pete, built a relationship with Nate, checking in on him for about five years. Pete encouraged him to try Haven and access our wrap-around services.
One day, Nate told Pete he was ready. “It’s time for a change. I can’t do this anymore,” Nate said.
Nate came to Haven and within four months, he had his ID back, had reinstated social security benefits, took some budgeting classes, and reinstated his healthcare benefits. He was housed through a program between Haven and Opportunity Home.
To hear Nate’s story, click below.
Harmony is taking classes and utilizing Haven’s resources to regain her independence and find housing.
Destin is one of Haven’s Young Adult clients. Haven has seen an increase in young adults experiencing homelessness in our community. In FY 2023, Haven served 789 young adults aged 18-24, a 31% increase from the previous year.
Haven launched a Young Adult program, which includes 24 beds in our low-barrier side of campus, the Courtyard, and 28 beds on our Transformational Campus.
The young adult program includes specialty case management, gender-neutral restrooms, and common areas with TVs, gaming devices, and computers.
Felisha shares her Haven journey. She was a client twice, and now wants a career where she can give back to those struggling with addiction and homelessness.
Tatiana shares how Haven for Hope helped her get back on her feet with employment and a new apartment.
Meet Alan: Alan was a successful businessman working with custom homebuilders until the economy and real estate market crashed in 2008. After losing his job and struggling to make ends meet as an artist, a series of health issues in 2020 led to Alan losing everything. He came to Haven for Hope to get back on his feet. Click here to hear his inspiring testimonial.
Nadia was living with her four children in her Mom’s one-bedroom house. She had lost her job during the pandemic. She was a caregiver and her client died from Covid. Things went downhill from there and soon Nadia lost her car.
After living with her Mom for a while, she knew she had to do something for her family. “My Mom wasn’t used to having kids in the house again. It was very crowded. I didn’t want to burden her.”
Nadia and her children stayed at Haven for a year. They were in line to rent a home and her kids were very excited. They even went to the house to rake leaves before moving in. Nadia said they bagged 9 bags of leaves. “The kids loved that house.” Unfortunately, the landlord received an offer to sell the home. “It was an offer he couldn’t refuse. We were very disappointed, but we didn’t give up hope.”
Nadia had always worked hard to provide for her children as a single mom. “This has been a learning experience for my children, homelessness can happen to anyone.”
As Nadia reflects on her time at Haven, she’s grateful. Grateful for the staff, the programs, and the classes. She attended Income and Skills Development classes and worked on her resume so she can find another more financially stable job. Her kids participated in some of the teen nights and movie nights at Haven. Nadia was grateful her children had the opportunity to continue attending their charter school. As for her dream job, Nadia says she wants to give back. “I want to help people; this can happen to anyone. It’s been a humbling experience.”
To watch Nadia’s interview with Haven staff, click here.
DevLynn is an only child. When his parents needed help and care as they aged, he knew he needed to be there. “I signed that paperwork the day I was born. They raised me, took care of me, I needed to be there for them.”
DevLynn cared for his parents and after his grandmother and parents passed away, he lived off his inheritance. Until the lease was more than he could afford. “I couldn’t sign the lease. I couldn’t stay there anymore.” DevLynn took his belongings and lived in his car. His car was paid for and if it was running, he had a place to stay. Then his car broke down. He couldn’t afford to retrieve it after it was towed. He didn’t have a valid ID. “All I had was my D214 military ID, it doesn’t have a photo,” he explained.
DevLynn relied on his support system to help him for a few months. But without a job or the money to keep paying for his stuff in storage, he knew he needed more help. His friend helped him get his valuables out of storage, including his father’s ashes. “That was very important to me.” As an Air Force vet, he didn’t fully understand the benefits he had earned. His friend dropped him off at Haven for Hope and he began working with the Veteran’s team. “I’m working on getting my identity back, I’m enrolled in VA health benefits, I have my VA ID card, I’m working on my income and housing plans.”
He thanks the team at Haven for giving him direction. “I didn’t know what to do, where to go to get help. The team worked with me. If I have a bad day, they pick up me up and tell me to stick it out.” It’s important for DevLynn to transform his life. “I don’t want to fail. Even though my parents aren’t here to see this, I don’t want to disappoint them.” He believes it’s a privilege to live in the United States and he is glad he served four years in the Air Force. “Serving in the military helped me understand the freedoms we have.”
He is willing to take any job that will provide a steady income. He owes his progress to his support system, especially his case manager, Jose. He said Haven for Hope staff will point you in the right direction, but he must do the work. “Thank you, Haven for giving me direction. Thank you for giving me purpose.”
To hear from DevLynn, click here!
