Sabrina and her husband are in their 30’s and are both veterans. They moved from Texas to Los Angeles 2 1/2 years ago with their 11 year-old daughter and 7 year-old son in the hope of restarting their lives. As a result of family issues, and the fact that they were homeless, their plans fell through and their kids were taken away. She was distraught for that reason but was also looking to stabilize her life and get treated and compensated for the disabilities and trauma she suffered during her time in the military.
ICLC connected with Sabrina at a homeless clinic where we conduct regular outreach. We helped her with her benefits application while she worked through the court process and did all the things she needed to do to prove to the court she could take care of her kids. She did a great job of that and was able to get her kids back. We were successful in getting her the benefits she was entitled to, including $1,900/month, which means that not only did she have her kids, but also a stable income for the first time in years. With our help, she was able to move in to a veterans transitional housing facility in Long Beach with her husband and kids. We are still working on parts of her claim, and her husband is looking to find work, but things are beginning to look better as she has a stable life, stable income, and custody of her children.
We have helped Sabrina and her husband break the cycle of homelessness, but $1,900 a month is not much to live on for a family of four, and transitional housing only lasts 6 months up to two years. We are currently working with this family to become eligible for permanent supportive housing, which is the final step in the housing continuum.
Their daughter is a fan of Disney (she just had a Disney villain theme birthday party). Since they are a family of 4 living on a limited income, they would be appreciative of anything. They are really involved with their kids so I could see them especially valuing gifts that gives them experiences together.
