Lalaine and Kyla found themselves homeless after Lalaine left an abusive marriage. Not sure of their next step, the two stayed temporarily with friends for four months. During this difficult and stressful time, Lalaine immediately focused on "thinking and planning what I needed to do for me and my daughter." She knew she needed to make some changes, so Kyla would have a stable environment to grow up in.

Looking to make some permanent changes, Lalaine and Kyla came to Shelter Network's Family Crossroads program. Lalaine immediately set goals for herself and worked tirelessly to reach them. Her goals were to save money, get her driver's license, and find permanent housing. She wanted to make their situation as undisruptive and stress-free for Kyla as possible, so she and her daughter commuted daily on BART so that Kyla wouldn't have to change preschools. While Kyla was in school, Lalaine worked to research other resources that could help them. She was soon attending classes at City College of San Francisco to earn a Childhood Education certificate.

Despite a hectic schedule, Lalaine also attended parenting workshops and other classes offered at Family Crossroads. According to her case manager there, "She was always ready to take advantage of the opportunities Family Crossroads gave her." Through the long days, Lalaine says part of her motivation was knowing that "no one can help me but me." At the same time, she recognizes how instrumental the support of everyone at Family Crossroads was. "I went to school and was taking care of my daughter. I didn't know how I was going to get everything done. Everything they have done has helped me and helped my daughter. They have supported us in so many ways."

Kyla flourished while at Family Crossroads, thanks in part to the Children's Coordinator and the volunteers who came in to play and work with the children. Lalaine says, "She went from being a shy and quiet girl to someone who is laughing and having fun. She is my inspiration." One day when she is old enough to understand everything her mother has done for her, Kyla is sure to look at her mother as her inspiration.

Just four months after entering Family Crossroads, Lalaine and Kyla were able to move into permanent housing. Today this dynamic mother-daughter duo live in a two-bedroom condo. Lalaine says, "It is a great environment for my daughter. I feel happy; we have our own place and peace of mind." She has since received her Childhood Education certificate as well as a computer training certificate.

Reflecting on her experiences, Lalaine says, "When things were tough, I took everything little by little. Every success is important, and I tried to remember them all." Lalaine smiles as she recounts how she met every one of the three goals she set for herself when she came to Shelter Network. She saved money, passed her driving test, and moved back to permanent housing!

Although Lalaine never expected to be homeless, she didn't let it slow her down. In a time of chaos, she took things day by day and wasn't afraid to ask for help. Thanks to all of her hard work, and a helping hand from Shelter Network, Lalaine and Kyla's future looks bright.

For Steve, Maple Street Shelter is a program that helps people help themselves. He says, "Maple Street is helping me to focus on my long-term goals." While at Maple Street, Steve suggested having a resident's council and played a big part in getting the group started. He is also grateful for the variety of services he received at Shelter Network, including the mandatory savings program. With the money he is saving, Steve hopes to buy a house in Roseville, where he has been chosen to open a new shoe store by his current employer.

While fighting to make ends meet Rani, Dave, and Allison lived in hotels all over the Bay Area. Rani says, "Often it was just a struggle to get the extra $3 you needed to pay for the hotel." One of the realities of being homeless was the difficulty of storing their belongings. David found it difficult to work because his truck was often filled with the family's belongings. Another struggle was affording food. As Rani points out, "The hotels didn't have kitchens, so we had to eat out every meal and that costs a lot of money." When they financially weren't able to afford a hotel room, the family was forced to sleep in their car.

Dave was working sporadically at this time, as jobs were hard to come by. Rani describes the cycle that made it impossible for her to find work: "I needed a job, but to get a job I needed childcare, to get childcare I needed a job."

When Rani, Dave, and Allison were referred to Shelter Network's First Step for Families program, they weren't sure what to expect. Rani says, "I grew up in Carmel and traveled the country, staying in the best hotels while working for Apple. All of a sudden I found myself in a homeless shelter." While it took some adjusting, Rani says, it wasn't long before they could really see the program working for them. "It allowed us to stop and breathe for the first time in years."

Rani and Dave worked hard at First Step, and soon transfered to Shelter Network's Haven Family House program. While there, both Dave and Rani were able to secure jobs and begin saving more, while Allison attended the on-site child care center.

Before long, Dave and Rani had saved enough to move out into their own apartment in Daly City. Now back on their feet, this family's future looks bright!

For Yecenia, a few months earlier everything in her life had seemed to be in place. She and her husband were living in Redwood City, and looking forward to the arrival of their second son, to be named Brandon. Yecenia was a devoted mother, who worked part-time doing home health care at a senior citizens home, as a Certified Nurse, and spent the remainder of her time at home to be with Lari. Everything in her life was going as planned.

But when her two-year marriage suddenly and unexpectedly ended, Yecenia found herself and Lari without a home and unsure of their next step. Right away, Yecenia knew she needed to find a place to stay for herself, Lari, and the baby she was expecting. Wasting no time, her research on the internet led her to Shelter Network's website and soon, through a referral agency Yecenia and Lari came to Shelter Network's First Step for Families program in San Mateo.

For Yecenia, First Step meant, most basically, "Having somewhere to sleep. One of the hardest parts about becoming homeless was not having a roof over our heads." One of the first things Yecenia did at First Step for Families was to set goals for herself and her son. Although she was seven months pregnant, Yecenia soon found a job as a telemarketer and worked until her pregnancy made it impossible. She also pre-registered at Cañada College to start classes to become a Registered Nurse. She knows she wants Lari and Brandon to have more stability. Yecenia has been clear on these goals from day one, and has been working hard to make a more stable life for herself and her two sons.

Not only did First Step for Families mean having a roof over their heads, it meant a new supportive family to help her and her family through this difficult time. She refers to those she met at First Step for Families as friends. Her Case Manager, Renee, was a great source of support and cheerleading. Of Yecenia, Renee comments, "She is a hard-worker who is driven and unwavering in her goal of creating a more stable environment for her family. Despite her hardship, Yecenia has stayed focused on the future, which to her means going to school to become a Certified Nurse, and being a positive role-model for her children."

Yecenia says that Shelter Network helped her to realize the importance of planning for the future, and she knows this experience will help her teach her children the importance of planning for the unexpected. "It has made me stronger as a person - to do what I need to do to make sure that my kids have everything they need." She comments, "Shelter Network is a good program to help people get stable and back on their feet. I really appreciate what Shelter Network has done for me and my kids."

Yecenia's long-term dream - where she sees herself in five years - is to be "working as a Registered Nurse and living with my sons in our own home in San Mateo." For now, Yecenia is excited about meeting her new son and Lari's new brother, Brandon. As this new chapter begins for Yecenia and her family, their future is sure to be filled with success.