Pasadena Family Journeys from Homelessness to Hope

Pasadena family journeys from homelessness to hope (Photo – Angel McCoy)

During a routine Street Outreach and Housing neighborhood visit, Olivia Esteb, a staff member at Friends In Deed, encountered the Bennett family near the Lincoln Motel.

By Helen Angove

The family of four, including two children aged six and seven, were found living in their packed car.

Olivia offered them some of the sack lunches that are provided by Throop Unitarian Universalist Church, and got talking. She discovered that the family of four were Pasadena natives, now living in their car. In conversation she learned about the family’s prolonged struggle, exacerbated by life’s circumstances, and lack of support from their extended family.

Living out of their car

Despite the family’s best efforts, the logistics of living out of their car had made it impossible for the father to maintain steady employment, leaving them without access to benefits. Olivia described the mom as “clawing her way, tooth and nail, to keep the family together.”

Olivia felt compelled to act. She pursued housing options for the family, navigating the challenges posed by limited resources for intact families.

A stroke of luck

Efforts paid off when the family was matched with transitional housing. However, a lack of funds for gas threatened to derail their chance at stability. Just in time for Christmas, a stroke of luck arrived as a generous donation of seven $25 Ralphs gift cards from St. Barnabas Church reached the Friends In Deed office. With the newfound assistance, the family secured gas and moved into their new home, marking a significant turning point in their journey from homelessness to hope.

Helen Angove is the Operations Manager at Friends In Deed. She draws on her experience as a freelance writer to ensure the stories of our unhoused neighbors are told.