My wife and I have three sons, ages 16, 13 and 10. I’ll never forget how much time and energy we put into preparing each of their rooms before they were born. Our firstborn had all of the new stuff: the crib, dresser, changing table and the ladybug theme that my wife picked out for him. He still has the stuffed lady bug that used to keep him company in his crib.

I am reminded, though, that not everyone has such warm and heartfelt memories of their child’s birth. A few weeks ago we got a call from a mother with a two week old baby who was escaping a domestic violence situation. With nowhere else to go, the mom, baby and three other kids were sleeping in the family’s car.

We took the family into our shelter immediately. It was such an amazing sight to watch the family settle into their bedroom, place a few stuffed animals on their pillows and put new sheets on the crib for the two week old. The following day, our contact from LAUSD came by and enrolled the older children in school, ensuring that they had school uniforms and plenty of supplies.

The family is still here with us and they are thriving. Things continue to look up for them as they are weeks away from securing an apartment. And while the first few weeks of this baby’s life were a bit difficult, it is such a relief that perhaps the rest of her life could be bright!