SFTH is very proud of the success of our clients. Combining our programs with encouragement, suppport, patience, and dedication have helped many families and individuals get back on track with their lives.

The Nash Family

Emiliano and Patricia Nash and their three children were evicted from their apartment when Emiliano lost his job as a welder. Their also lost all of their furniture because they couldn't move it in their broken down van and they couldn't afford to rent a truck. They moved into a motel and quickly fell behind in the rent.

"My husband went for three days without food so the kids and I could eat. I was pregnant," Patricia recalled. Their teenage son was failing in school, fighting with classmates, and talking back to his teachers.

At this point, the Nash family was referred to Shelter for the Homeless. SFTH moved the Nash family into an apartment, got them furniture, and helped the family until Emiliano found a job as an auto mechanic less than two months later.

Emiliano and Patricia have now taken over the rent payments for their three-bedroom apartment. Emiliano is still working. Their son's grades have improved and he no longer fights with schoolmates or talks back to his teachers.

"If it weren't for the SFTH program, I don't know where we have ended up," Patricia said. "We might have ended up living in the van, and our van wasn't even working."

Jaki Bailey, single mother of two children

Jaki Bailey, a single working mother with two children, had to leave the motel she was staying in because she couldn't pay the rent. Shelter for the Homeless heard about Jaki and offered her housing in an emergency shelter. Within a week she found a second job. While it was difficult for Jaki to work two jobs and taker care of her two children, a daughter who was 17 and a son who was 4, she worked incredibly hard to manage.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond her control, Jaki lost both jobs. One company went bankrupt and the other eliminated jobs due to budget cuts. Jaki didn't give up. She found a full-time job at Viking Office Products. She set goals and started saving up to buy a car. She dealt with everyday family needs of buying clothing for the kids, dentist trips for toothaches, and medicine when her kids got sick.

Due to a corporate donation of $1,000, SFTH was able to help Jaki purchase a car. For Jaki and her family, having a car made everyday things such as going to work and taking her kids to school so much easier. The family could now go on outings together and go food shopping without worrying how to make it home with the groceries.

Jaki moved into SFTH transitional housing and within one and a half years of joining SFTH, she was able to take over the rent payments for an apartment on her own. Now, Jaki provides her family with a permanent place to live and can focus on her goal of saving for her children's education.