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They are home

“A” was in an arranged marriage in India and shortly after became pregnant with her son. During her 6th month of pregnancy, her husband received a temporary work visa in the Bay Area. “A” did not to leave and wanted to have her baby in India but her husband insisted. Once they moved and the baby was born in the U.S., her husband became abusive. He told her that he didn’t “need her anymore” but would keep her son as a citizen of the United States. He filed for divorce and she left with her son to SAVE, a shelter in Fremont for domestic violence victims. They helped her find her own place and figure out her rights. 

She is now going through divorce proceedings and needs a job before her visa runs out.  She is an educated woman with a masters degree in IT from a university in India. Her and her son share an apartment with another family because of the high cost of rent.  The family law judge will not allow them to go back to India and if she leaves without him, she risks losing custody. Her only hope is to find a job here and make ends meet. They have been living without beds or furniture for months. 

Before: There was nowhere for "A" and her son to enjoy meals together.
Before: They had a mix match of kitchen items.
Before: "A" had a broken couch.
Before: "A" had nowhere to sit and enjoy her patio area.

In one day, Boys Team Charity, Danville and Aztec soccer team made “A’s” apartment into a beautiful and comfortable home. 

Volunteers hanging curtains.
Organizing the kitchen.

“A” was overjoyed when she saw what our volunteers had done. 

"A" and her sons seeing their new home.
Before: There was nowhere for "A" and her son to eat together.
After: They can enjoy meals together at a beautiful new dining room table.
Before: They just had an assortment of a few kitchen items.
After: "A" has a fully furnished kitchen where she can prepare meals.
Before: They couldn't enjoy their patio.
After: They have a comfortable patio set where they can sit and spend time together.
Before: They slept on a single bed on the floor together.
After: They have warm and comfortable beds of their own.
Before: "A" had a broken couch.
After: The family has a functioning and comfortable living room where they can relax together.
"A" and her son on their new functioning couch.

Taneisha's hard work pays off

Taneisha is an amazing, extremely hard working single mother of a 9-year-old and 18-year-old girl. She works 10-12 hour a day and often takes her daughters to the Boys and Girls Club so that they were safe and looked after while she is at work. She lived in the same apartment for 16 years until her rent tripled and she made the decision to leave before she was evicted. The family lived in hotels and cars until they finally found shelter at LifeMoves, a housing organization. She saved enough money to put down the first and last months rent in a new, less expensive apartment. She recently landed a new, higher paying job that will allow her to support herself and her two daughters. 

Before: Taneisha had just a simple dining room set.
Before: Taneisha's living room was empty and the family didn't have anywhere to sit together after a long day.

Our volunteers arrived and began hanging photos, organizing the kitchen, and building beds.

Building furniture
Organizing the kitchen

The girls couldn’t believe it when they saw their home!

The girls seeing their home for the first time
Before: The family had nowhere to sit and relax together after a long day of work.
After: The family can relax and watch movies together in their living room.
Before: The family had a simple table to eat meals.
After: They have a beautiful space to enjoy meals together.
After: Taneisha's youngest daugther has a beautiful bed of her own.
After: Taneisha has a warm and comfortable bed where she can relax after a long day at work.
Taneisha and her daughters enjoying their new home.

Thank you to our volunteers and donors for giving these two families the gift of a safe, warm and comfortable home.  Now, they have a place to relax and hope for a better future together.

And as always, we couldn’t help as many people as we do without the gift of CHIPMAN RELOCATION AND LOGISTICS.

With gratitude,

Donna and Chris

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