Graduation allows opportunity to celebrate residents’ wins

Families find stability after stays at Home Again

 Home Again, Rescue Mission Alliance San Fernando Valley’s family center, was able to celebrate families recently that have transitioned to stable housing. Months ago, they found themselves without a home and seeking help at the Mission’s doorstep. Now we come alongside them, lift them up, and celebrate their achievements.

The diversity in the families who transitioned is impressive and a great reminder that God makes no exceptions of people. The Home Again team walked out the journey of life with five different families during this last quarter and saw them successfully transition to independence.

Destinie

Destinie, with her four children in tow, arrived at Home again with doubts and concerns about whether she would be able to stand on her own without a program. Destinie’s case manager and the team continuously encouraged her to keep moving forward with hope and faith. They reminded her that we serve a God who honors hard work, perseverance, and consistency.

Destinie enrolled her children in childcare, obtained work, saved her income, and eventually moved into her own apartment, all while attending church and staying focused on God.

 

Sergei and Anastasia

This family arrived at Home Again afraid and worried they would have to spend another night  outdoors with their 2-year-old son. Sergei and Anastasia are a refugee family who left their country of Russia, escaping war and hoping that they would live a safer life in the U.S. During

their stay at Home Again, they found employment and became managers of an apartment  building where they obtained a discounted unit to live in. They are grateful to have a family of supporters at Home Again. 

Leidy

Leidy arrived in the U.S. as an immigrant, single mom of two, running from extortion and death threats in her country. While on duty as a social worker, she experienced a crime and was asked to testify against the organized gang behind it. The threats toward her, her children and family began shortly after. Before arriving at Home Again, Leidy experienced threats of assault in the previous shelter at which she was staying. Leidy has worked very hard to feed her children and find a way to survive. She worked in construction, as a painter, and cleaning  houses. Today she has a stable job, a stable home and is engaged to a wonderful man. He loves her children and wants to be a family. In addition to all this, during her stay at Home Again she met God and now attends and serves in her church along with her family.

Paola

Paola is the twin sister of Leidy and she also had to leave the country because of the same  death threats as her sister. Paola arrived with her husband and three young children at the shelter where they quickly began learning English through ESL classes. She began attending parenting classes and participated in Bible study every week. Soon after arriving at Home Again, her and her husband found employment and then had the opportunity to move into stable housing. Home Again gave this family a second chance at living in peace and away from  violence. Home Again is also the instrument God used to allow these families to stay together and be a support to each other in a new country.