INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERMENT. FAMILY SUCCESS.
"Before I moved to Garden Park, I was eight months pregnant and living in a domestic violence shelter. CCIH provided me my first home, fully furnished. A group of volunteers even sewed my newborn son quilts and booties. I finally felt safe and able to start over." —Abriana
Abriana and her son, Samir, lived at Garden Park Apartments for over two years. She actively moved her life along — pursuing friendships with her neighbors, working retail at a local mall, and enrolling in college. CCIH provided her with transportation support and tutoring as she worked on her goals. While in college, Abriana came home excited about her intellectual pursuits and shared her studies with staff. While her son Samir was busy learning to talk and walk, Abriana was always there right behind him. He became a favorite in the community with his easy smile, social personality, and boundless curiosity. After a few years of living, learning, and growing at Garden Park Apartments, Abriana was ready to leave our community so she can be closer to her mother and extended family as she raises her son and follows her dreams.
"Working at Winter Nights made me realize that most people are closer to homelessness than they think. What does it take? Loss of a job, death of spouse—and with no families to take them in, they become homeless. I had no place to go when it happened to me. I will be forever grateful to have a home. We need more Garden Parks." —Teri
Since they first moved to Garden Park Apartments in 2005, Teri and her family have become leaders in the community. She is a valued staff member of Winter Nights, a seasonal shelter for homeless families. She is proud to serve this program, having once been in the shelter herself. Her husband, Reuben, works full time for Alameda County. After a difficult transition into Garden Park last year, Matthew, her 17-year-old son, was recently recognized by his school for being one of three students to earn straight A's in his first quarter. And Reubie, a 3rd grader and Homework Club regular, is doing well. Her mother is active in the PTA and Reubie has benefited from attending the same neighborhood school since kindergarten. Teri's family thrives as a result of their hard work and desire for progress and be-cause they have a CCIH community that faithfully rallies behind them.
"Before I moved to Garden Park, I was living in a 11' x 4' tool shed. If I spread my arms out, I could reach the walls. I had a bed, a TV and a dresser. I didn't have windows so it was dark at night. I'm 17 now and I've paid for everything that I've owned since I was 12. Now I have my own room and I'm going to graduate half a year early. I want to make money so I don't have to worry about living dollar to dollar." – Sam
Sam joined his family at Garden Park Apartments about a year ago. He had been living with an uncle and it was not a good place forhim. Sam got into a scrape with the law and agreed to come live with his mother and get back on track. He has always been a good student and aspires to go to college. Last spring, he volunteered to work with the construction firm, Lescure Company, on a drainage repair project at Garden Park. After seeing his excellent work ethic, the managers of Lescure decided to support Sam with a stipend for his good work and a scholarship for a summer class at DVC. Since then, Sam has landed a job doing political canvassing. His reliability and high work standards have won him a steady position with this company which usually only hires people for temporary positions. Hats off to Sam for his outstanding work performance, commitment to education, and for turning his life in a positive direction!
