Families Forward

Success Stories

Marni

A successful graduate of the Transitional Housing Program is Marni. Marni is a single mother of three young teenagers. Before coming to Families Forward, Marni and her children were homeless and had been sleeping on the floor of a friend's home. Marni had recently divorced and found herself in a desperate situation; always having been a stay at home mother without an education or work experience, Marni knew that in order to get the family back on their feet, she needed to go back to school and complete a GED.

During Marni's 7-month stay in the Families Forward program, Marni completed her GED and was hired at a clerical position, earning $40,000 yearly. She also was able to pay off old debt and save money toward her move-in costs.

The family is now living in an apartment and Marni is taking night college courses in an effort to obtain a 4-year degree to improve her options for a promotion at work. The counselors and staff of Families Forward are proud of Marni and her diligent efforts towards maintaining self-sufficiency.

Kimberly

"We were about to be on the streets. I was in a bad marriage. Finances were rapidly depleting...quicker than I could earn them. I was basically a minimum wage earner. One day things were so dark and distressing, I came over to talk with Families Forward. I think the biggest revelation was that my husband decided that he didn't need any help, so he didn't want to come into the program. It was the final straw. I really felt kind of out of place because I had a good job, I'm a professional, come from a good family...I thought for sure that I could make things work, but as fast as I was pedaling, I was drowning.

I worked a second job when I was with Families Forward to try to get out of debt, to meet my goals. I went into the program and it was absolutely a big relief. I remember one night lying in bed and a big cloud just lifted off my shoulders. You can't get there if you don't practice the things that you learn in the program: how to budget, how to save your money, how to balance your priorities, how to know when to say no. We moved into the house and it was a home. It was a wonderful, true home.

For the first month, I was just happy that I could control my money, I knew what was in the bank, and what wasn't. I went religiously to Wednesday Night [group counseling] meetings. I dearly loved those because you just find out that you're not alone and that there are other people and the mistakes you've made in your life were ok...you could learn from them and grow.

My daughter was 10. She didn't want to identify with being homeless. It is still very hard for her. She wanted to hide the fact that we were in temporary housing. It was tough for her, except for you can't tell that you're in assisted housing. So, she was able to bring her friends over to the house. It was home to her. She could bring her friends in. Because I was in Irvine, I could stay active in the community, which was incredibly important, because I was active in the school, the PTA, the fundraisers.

People in the community were overwhelmingly responsive. When I moved [from the program to my own place], my washer and dryer wouldn't work and Families Forward said, "We have a washer and dryer, would you like it?" They brought it over and installed it. People were donating furniture. I was supported after I left the housing.

It was going to cost as much for first and last month's rent as for a down payment on a house. I was able to buy a house. I've now lived there a little over a year.

Without Families Forward, I would not have had the courage to make the steps. I never would have had the courage to leave my abusive husband. I probably would have continued on the same route and probably would have lost everything and would have been on the streets.

I've lived in Irvine since 1989, Irvine is my home, it is where my life is, where my daughter was raised, where my friends are. We need to help the families in need in the community to stay in the community. Because what they experience and go through will add to the community, absolutely 100%. What we give them, they will give back.

There's such a soft spot in my heart for Families Forward...and not just for me...my whole family notices a difference."

Ruth

"I was expecting my first child with my husband. We had both worked in our own computer business. But in 1992, we had lost major contracts and couldn't maintain the cash flow. We were hit by the state budget crisis and downsizing of the aerospace industry which resulted in having to close our business.

We were evicted from our home and began doing the motel circuit. Weekly, or sometimes you pay a day at a time in Costa Mesa and Anaheim motels. We were both working professionals, but we just weren't able to get anything saved in a large enough quantity to be able to move into a place.

It wasn't fun going from what you thought was a successful business and having your own place to now everything's in a hotel room...it wasn't a pleasant time.

So when we came we were really needing help just being able to get into a place with a baby on its way and not wanting to go through delivering a baby and living in a motel.

My husband was working when we came into the program, taking the bus to work. The closer the pregnancy came to term, the more we thought, "OK, what do we need to do here?"

We moved into one of the Families Forward houses. The thing for me was that it was walking distance to the bus stop. I could walk to the bus stop, take two buses, get to work...so I could continue the job that I had, which was really important as far as having that steady income.

There was a lot of fear and anxiety - what's going to happen to me, having this child in a motel room. There was help on things like getting your feet back on the ground again. Being able, slowly, to look at things from the perspective of moving forward.

Our child was born and we didn't have the things that you'd like to have when your first child is born, but we were given a crib, a beautiful crib, and those were donated by people in the community.

One of the biggest things that I got out of Families Forward was ‘First things first.' Pay rent...FIRST! Have rent paid on time, budget your money, watch where your money is going, be accountable and take responsibility. If we want to have a place to live, then we better pay rent...very simple solution...but in the midst of things it wasn't that clear.

In group [counseling] sessions, as embarrassing as it was to have to admit that you were needing help, there was a fellowship there. There was always a sense of ‘what if someone finds out?' On the outside you were trying to make it look like things were ok, that you didn't have any problems...and on the inside you were torn apart because it wasn't that way. Just having someone there to listen, to tell what's going on. You could heal.

The people who Families Forward helps would not ask for help if they had any other choice. These are people who are experiencing a difficult time in their life...looking for self-sufficiency and trying to find a temporary step forward in their life. We got out and moved into a permanent residency. We've now been able to participate and give back.

Today, I see other people that were in the program at the time we were and I see them out and about doing their thing and continuing their life. It's a stepping stone."