A university graduate in her native Colombia, Dalila shared a comfortable life with her husband and 13-year-old son, Felipe. Only a few years ago, Dalila was teaching at an elementary school in Bogotá and using her legal degree to help friends in need. She understood the dangers of living in Colombia's capital, but she wasn't willing to give up her life, even when she found herself threatened because of her political beliefs. For three months, Dalila ignored threats and resisted the advice of her family and friends to leave. When the threats against her family continued to escalate, though, Dalila was forced to leave her home suddenly and unexpectedly with her son, leaving her husband behind. They had no choice but to flee the country and seek political asylum in the United States.

Luckily, Dalila and Felipe were able to stay with a friend of a friend when they first arrived in the United States, but Dalila struggled with learning English and letting go of her life in Colombia. Having established a family and a home in Colombia, Dalila found it very difficult to start all over again. Despite her sadness and pain, Dalila worked hard, cleaning houses and cutting hair, to provide for her son. Unfortunately, Dalila's wages were not enough to support the expenses of rent, food, and other basic necessities. Eventually, Dalila and Felipe became homeless, and they were forced to take shelter at Clara-Mateo.

Impressed by Dalila's hard work and determination to succeed, her caseworker at Clara-Mateo referred her to Shelter Network's Redwood Family House Program, where she and Felipe finally found an apartment of their own. Redwood Family House provided Dalila with a sense of security and a base from which to work toward her goals. Dalila comments: "The staff at Redwood Family House were so friendly, warm and respectful." With the support of her case worker, Ricardo, Dalila resolved to start living her life in the present and to work hard and be strong for Felipe.

During her time at Redwood, Dalila's self-esteem and confidence grew as Ricardo helped put her in touch with resources to help achieve her goals. She enrolled in the ESL program at Cañada College, and she's working hard to transfer her academic credentials to the United States. Trained as a teacher, a lawyer and a journalist in Colombia, Dalila hopes to pursue a career in law and help others who are in need. When she's not studying full-time, Dalila works as a nanny to support herself and her son.

The warm and respectful atmosphere at Redwood helped Felipe to grow as well. He was named "Student of the Month" at his middle school, and his afternoons are packed with activities ranging from Boy Scouts to a Stanford academic program to working as an after school tutor. In his limited free time, Felipe challenges friends to games of chess, practices skateboarding and takes care of his eight fish and one hamster - Snoop Rat. Although he still misses his friends and father in Colombia, Felipe has bravely faced the challenge of establishing a new life in California.

Dalila and Felipe graduated from Redwood Family House and now live in a cozy apartment of their own. They participate in Shelter Network's Follow-Up program and keep in touch with Ricardo and Redwood's Program Director, Rebecca. Ricardo strongly believes that Dalila and Felipe will succeed in all their goals. He says "I am so impressed by Dalila's determination to achieve her goals and make the best with what she has."

Although she still struggles with her sudden departure from Colombia, Dalila has focused her energy on succeeding in the United States. She is very proud of the progress that she and Felipe have made during the past year and a half, and she continues to work toward her goals of graduating from the ESL program, becoming a lawyer and reuniting her family in the United States. She dreams of seeing Felipe happy and adjusted in his new country and of owning her own house and sharing it with her friends. Thanks to Dalila's determination and hard work, and the support of Shelter Network, she, Felipe and her husband have hope that their lives can be happy again.