This month marked the two-year anniversary of the Bay Area Shelter-In-Place order, during which time the Raphael House team took action to keep our community safe.
In response to the negative impact the pandemic had on the families we serve, Raphael House introduced our Financial Assistance for Family Stability services in the fall of 2020, providing direct aid to families so they remained housed and financially stable. This service helps our Bridge Program clients that find themselves at risk of losing their homes – people like Janice.
Janice arrived at Raphael House in 2011 with her newborn son and the goal to turn her life around. It was essential to her to find a place where she and her son felt safe and supported.
“Raphael House started the process of helping me change and saved my life, ” Janice shared about her time in our Residential Shelter.
During their stay, Janice built her credit, obtained childcare, and found subsidized housing where she and her family lived for 10 years.
Recently, their family’s long-term stability was threatened when Janice received notice that their home was scheduled to be demolished. As a single parent and student working full-time to support her two children and brother, Janice was afraid for her family. She was given the choice to move to an older housing unit in an area known to have gang violence or to a newer development with higher rent.
She felt stuck. Janice reflected, “when stuff started getting scary, I was like, ‘Who can I reach out to?’ I reached out to Raphael House and you were there with open arms to help me through the tough time.”
With the help of Raphael House, Janice received financial assistance from the Financial Assistance for Family Stability funds which allowed her to move into her safe, new income-contingent housing unit in January. We helped fund her security deposit, first month’s rent, and connected her to a community partner to furnish her new home. “My home is a home because of your help. The biggest blessing of all,” she said.
Thank you to all our donors who made a difference for Janice and her family!
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