On March 8th 2021(which I would later learn is National Women’s Day) my four year old son and I were kicked out of our home in Fairfield. We had no money, no car, and no place to go.

In the four years we lived there, this marked the 10th time we had been kicked out by my son’s father, and the 4th time police had been called to the house. The fear I saw in my son’s eyes that night is something that will never leave me and is what gave me the courage to leave and to never look back.

I called my mom who lives in Santa Rosa, where I grew up, and she came and brought us back to her home. We slept on her couch for a year and a half until we were told by management that we had to leave because it was strictly a 55+ community. We had 7 days to vacate and I had just learned both my son and I were positive for COVID-19. I spent that entire week on the phone calling shelters and anyone who could possibly help. I was feeling hopeless and defeated because I was in quarantine and unable to complete intake appointments that were strictly in person. That is when I was connected with Annie from the Living Room and she changed everything.

This journey has been far from easy, but throughout, I have experienced instances of great kindness and generosity, which kept me pushing through the toughest time of my life and kept insuring me during my deepest moments of self doubt, that this path was the right path.

One month after leaving, I found work taking over my aunt’s job who was set to retire that month. Four months later, I was gifted a car from k-tech automotive. Some friends had nominated me for a car giveaway and I was given the car of my dreams. This gave me the ability to be independent and to be able to live on my own. A yr and a half later, we moved into transitional housing through The Living Room, which my son referred to as “the safe house”. Two weeks later we got a call that our name had finally came up on the wait-list for an affordable apartment we had applied for a year prior. And we got to move in one month after that.

That is when I was connected with Michelle with Inspired Spaces and the wonderful team of women that transformed our little apartment into a home. I was blown away by Michelle’s kindness and her desire to get my input as far as design style and color preferences. It felt a little weird at first because to me, this was a gift, and I didn’t feel that having a preference was appropriate. But Michelle eased my worries with her warm and caring nature and made me feel excited to be part of something that I will probably never be able to experience again in my life. Having an interior design company design my apartment is something I never imagined I would be able to do. And as my son put it, “Now this place really feels like a home.” And I am forever grateful.

This is not where our story ends, but rather where our struggle ends and it also marks the beginning of a new and happy life for us. Safe, stable and filled with laughter. Thank you so very much for your kindness and generosity, you have truly made a huge impact on mine and my son’s life that we will never ever forget.