“Teri” is a grandmother raising her two grandchildren with no support from their biological parents. She lost her job and had surgery all in a couple of weeks. Teri came into our office looking for help to apply for SSDI (Social Security Disability Income) which can take months to process and years to be approved. Through our conversation, I learned more about how she became the sole provider for her grandchildren. At the time of our appointment, she was worried about how she was going to make Christmas special for them. Adopt-A-Family (AAF) sign-up had already finished, so I discussed the situation with my supervisor and we decided to purchase clothing for Teri and her grandchildren. In addition to the clothes, they also received blankets that were donated to AAF and toys from the community toy drive. Thanks to one of our generous donors, Teri received a $100 Safeway gift card. When I helped carry all the clothes, blankets, and toys to Teri’s car she was almost in tears and kept saying thank you, thank you, thank you. Helping Teri is exactly what Coastside Hope’s Adopt A Family program is about. Seeing the joy in her face made my day. Coastside Hope is here for Terri and her grandchildren and will continue to provide the support they need to prosper.
“Juan”, a local farmworker, lived on his employer’s ranch for roughly five years before he was fired in 2020. Since 2020, Juan has lived on the streets of Half Moon Bay with no place to go. He never asked for shelter before because there were no options on the coast. Now that we have a shelter in Half Moon Bay, he decided to come in for a referral. Juan is scheduled for eye surgery in a few weeks and needs a clean safe place to recuperate. After he was fired from the farm due to a shortage of work, he slept in a non-operational vehicle that one of his friends let him borrow. Recently, the vehicle had to be dumped. After the vehicle was dumped Juan stayed in a tent until it was stolen. For the last few weeks, he has been sleeping under the bridge in Half Moon Bay. Sleeping out in the open is not ideal for anyone, but for Juan, it has been more challenging because he is in his fifties. A few days before he came to Coastside Hope, he was bitten by a spider and it got infected. To stay safe from the raccoons, skunks, and rats he keeps his food away from him while he sleeps at night. A case manager at Coastside Hope was able to send a CES referral for the Half Moon Bay shelter and Juan was assessed that day. Currently, he is on a waiting list until he can complete the other requirements to be admitted to the shelter. Every applicant must complete a background check before entering the shelter. Coastside Hope is here for Juan and will help him complete the necessary steps required to be admitted into the Half Moon Bay shelter.
As a single mother with two kids living here on the coast, it has often been a struggle just to make ends meet. When Covid-19 struck and many jobs were put on hold, my situation went from challenging, to extremely worrisome. I wasn’t able to pay my rent or provide as usual for my children. Coastside Hope helped me with the necessary paperwork and guidance to establish rental assistance while I am working to get back up on my feet. They have been so much more however, they have been kind, supportive, and true to their name, they have given me hope that we are all going to get through this together as a community. I am truly grateful for the support I have received from Coastside Hope. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
