His “previous life” involved drugs, gang activity and several arrests, which ended up with him spending time in prison.  Once in prison he turned his life around and came out determined to make some changes.  He came to 40 Prado in February and was able to find an employer willing to see beyond his past.  He let staff know that he was working and wanted to save and get housed but that it would probably be hard given his history.  He was assigned to the 40 Prado case manager in April who helped him set up his savings account and maintain a realistic “pre-housed” budget.  He diligently saved – often saving more than the agreed upon amount.  Although several housing opportunities came up, he was turned down because of his history.  His case manager kept telling him to “never give up”, even when he would often feel like throwing in the towel.

The case manager connected with the SSVF staff and let them know if a roommate housing opportunity ever came along to let her know – and in September staff called to tell her that they had found a 2-bedroom for one of their participants and that perhaps her client could be the roommate.  Introductions were made and the landlord, who had a great relationship with SSVF, agreed to take a chance on him as long as there would be the continued support of the 40 Prado case manager, which was enthusiastically agreed upon.  He was finally housed!

 

This female client originally came to the RCP (Recuperative Care Program) last spring.  She had been living in her car for over one year since fleeing from a violent relationship.  She was in need of hip surgery (on both hips) but due to her being morbidly obese, she was unable to safely have the surgery until she lost a great deal of weight.  She was also severely depressed.  Over the next 6 months she received counseling with the Community Counseling Center on-site Intern which greatly improved her depression.  She began eating healthy and started attending swimming sessions at Sinsheimer pool.  She worked with the RCP nurse and Medical Case Manager to prepare for gastric bypass surgery, which was a success.  She increased her swimming and eventually lost the right amount of weight to qualify for hip surgery.  She enrolled in Cuesta College and started on-line classes to complete her AA degree which she had begun years ago.  She began to see a “light at the end of the tunnel” and is excited about her future.  Just last week she received her back SSI and was able to not only purchase a used car but also set aside enough towards a shared apartment that she will move into in November.  She has repeatedly said that without RCP she “wouldn’t have made it” and credits the staff for helping her to turn her life around.  On October 2^nd, she attended the City of SLO Community Needs Assessment hearing with staff and publicly praised the program.  She said that she “never would have had the confidence to get up in front of a lot of people”, but “now I have a new life!”

40 Prado has seen a steadily growing number of seniors (over age 65) over the last 6 months.  Most of these individuals have less than $1,000 in monthly income and are becoming increasingly frail.  

In July, the CEO of the Atascadero Christian Home visited 40 Prado – she was so affected by the number of elderly participants and their stories that she committed to accepting 3 participants, regardless of their income!  Over the next two weeks staff identified the most appropriate participants, took them to visit the Home, arranged for their medical clearances, and worked with them on making the shift from homeless to housed.  Two women (one whose monthly income was $646 and the other whose income was $948) and one gentleman (whose income was $1,100) were housed by mid-August.  They were so happy to have a safe, clean place to live with all their food and expenses taken care of.  One of the women left 40 Prado crying tears of joy because she had become homeless after her husband died and she had no idea how she would survive.  It’s these kinds of stories that warm the staff’s hearts!

When this participant entered the Recuperative Program, she had been living in her car, was a domestic violence survivor and had fallen on hard times.  She had been hospitalized for severe anemia but her hip became the main focus of her recuperation.  It had gotten so bad that she could not walk without tremendous pain.  She needed a hip replacement but had to lower her weight to qualify for the surgery.  She became very depressed, almost to the point where she would rarely leave her room.  She mentioned to staff that she missed her church in Northern California so staff got in touch with the local group “Stephen’s Ministry”, that pairs volunteers from local faith-based organizations with clients, and a woman from a local church started to visit her regularly.  The visits helped to lift her out of her depression and staff connected her with the local Y where she started swimming classes and began losing weight.  Over several months, the weight started coming off and she began exploring weight loss surgery.  On July 29^th, 2019, she had successful weight loss surgery and was told that she could schedule a hip replacement in September! 

This journey from living in her car to the promise of hip surgery has given her the determination to look forward to getting a job and creating the life she desires.  She is a remarkable woman with the desire to change her life.  Her daily commitment is an inspiration to all that know her. 

In the week following her surgery, she has already lost 5 pounds and is tolerating the liquid diet.  It is an absolute pleasure to interact with this participant and be a small part of her journey.  She believes that the Recuperative Care Program “saved her life” and shows her gratitude every day with her smile!