Almanac's Holiday Fund: A new start for a family in crisis

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Gifts to the Almanac’s Holiday Fund benefit StarVista and nine other community organizations. StarVista provides mental health and support services to families and individuals in crisis. Donate now.

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By Jessica Harders, manager of individual giving at StarVista.

With three children, an eviction order, and little hope of a light at the end of the tunnel, Justine felt hopeless.

Forced to move from her home and unable to provide steady food and shelter for her children, Justine focused all of her energy on keeping her family together.

Mother and children would alternate sleeping on friend’s couches, staying in local churches, and when neither option was available, the family of four slept in Justine’s car.

Wanting to believe that things could get better, Justine was at a loss for where to turn when she heard about StarVista. Through a referral from her daughter’s school counselor, Justine began to take steps to rebuild her family’s life.

She enrolled her two oldest children in StarVista’s Your House South program, a temporary residential home for homeless youth, while she and her youngest child continued to live out of her car.

Your House South staff then connected Justine to a StarVista case-management service for families that need extra support, such as referrals to resource centers and in-home therapy. Through this program, Justine met Cheryl, the case manager who would become Justine’s pillar of support as she worked to reclaim her life.

“When I met Cheryl, I was feeling very alone, very depressed, and very hopeless,” Justine says. “I was worried it would get to be too much and I would just collapse.”

Acknowledging Justine’s anxiety over being apart from her oldest children, her case worker immediately helped Justine look for a new home where the family could be reunited, ensuring her every step of the way that this was a journey she did not have to embark on alone.

The case worker became Justine’s mental and emotional support, always listening to her sadness, frustrations, and everyday worries. Over time, Justine was able to secure employment and a new home, where she now lives with her three children.

“Thanks to Cheryl I was able to get this apartment I live in, I am working two jobs when I was unemployed just a few months ago, I am opening up a bank account, I am signing up to take ESL classes, but most importantly, I am home with my children,” Justine says. “The connection I made with Cheryl made this possible.”

Through counseling, skill development, and crisis prevention, StarVista serves more than 41,000 children, youth, adults, and families throughout San Mateo County each year.

Visit star-vista.org for more information. Or call (650) 591-9623. Address: StarVista, 610 Elm St., Suite 212, San Carlos, CA 94070.

Names of individuals have been changed to protect confidentiality.