We’ve talked before about “Rose” a high-acuity client who has been living on the streets for 20 years. Some years ago she was walking down the street when she ran into Friends In Deed’s pantry director, Tim, who happened to be a former neighbor of hers. Tim told her about Friends In Deed, and Rose has been using our services ever since.
Rose’s mother’s mental health made it impossible for Rose to continue living with her, so she moves around Los Angeles and the surrounding area, sleeping where she can. Sometimes she is able to couch surf or rent a room from a friend for a short period, but she’s also lived on Skid Row and in Salvation Army shelters. A couple of times she’s scraped together enough money to buy a car, and lived in that, but they get impounded and she can’t afford to pay the fine. She has also been a frequent user of Friends In Deed’s Bad Weather Shelter over the years. It’s a no-frills place to stay but, as Rose says, she was made to feel at home, and it’s better than being moved on, or sleeping on the sidewalk.
Through the efforts of Friends In Deed, Rose has been awarded a Section 8 housing voucher. Now comes the equally difficult task of finding a housing match with a landlord prepared to accept the voucher. But, after so many experiences of housing help falling through, she says she trusts us that her time is not being wasted, and she will get there in the end. She wants to get her life stable enough that she no longer has to constantly rely on agencies like Friends In Deed to help her through crisis after crisis.