Sucsess Stories
“I hated going into public places to use the bathroom when I was homeless. Everyone looked at me like I was a criminal.”​
This is Leslie. Leslie is now permanently housed with her three children. She is employed full-time at Sacramento CASH, and in fact, she just received a promotion.
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Leslie is a longstanding part of the HART community. She worked with the Outreach Navigator when she was living in a ditch a few years ago. She frequently attended the respite center and shower program at Carmichael Presbyterian Church. Many of you may have spent time getting to know Leslie.
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After becoming comfortable in the HART community and working with the Carmichael Outreach Navigator, she moved into SSHH’s Transitional Housing program. There, Leslie spent time getting sober and working on her other barriers to housing. She proceeded to move into other housing programs in Sacramento. Thanks to receiving an Emergency Housing Voucher, Leslie moved into her own place.
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Assistance from housing programs and public funding was critical to Leslie achieving housing. However, Leslie attributes her success and her motivation to achieve a life of sobriety and stability to the HART community and the volunteers who lead its programs.
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“When I would attend a respite center, I was just any other human. I could rest, charge my phone, and be safe. Whatever my decision was, Scott (the President of Carmichael HART) accepted me and provided me aid. Scott and HART looked at me like I was a person.”​ Carmichael HART is in the business of providing hope and low barrier services to the local unhoused. We believe anyone, regardless of their condition, deserves the humanity of a roof over their head, people who care about them, a meal and a shower.
“Greta Thunberg is my inspiration. Like her, I want to change the world.”
This is Emily. Emily is nine years old. Her favorite subject in school is art and her mother's name is Erin, one of the first graduates of our transitional housing, Charlotte House.
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“I think people should not judge those living on the street. They are people like you and me who are going through a difficult time,” Emily says.​ “I remember asking my mother when we were sleeping in the car, why we couldn’t go inside. It taught me that everyone has different challenges.”​
One of the reasons Erin moved into Charlotte House was to be close to Emily, who was living with her grandparents and attending Deterding Elementary School in Carmichael.
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“I wanted her to stay in the same school,” Erin says.
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Emily recalls spending time with her mother and the other Charlotte House residents after school. She looked forward to playing in the backyard with the children of the other residents. To this day they all remain friends.
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We are confident Erin, Emily, and her new baby brother are looking ahead.
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“The challenges become less difficult when you have a roof over your head,” says Erin.​ The goal of our Transitional Housing Program is to give opportunities to individuals and families like Erin and Emily to grow, remain a family, and in this case, change the world. We look forward to seeing Emily succeed in school and pursue her dreams of being an advocate for good.