Success Stories

  • The Cassano-Sulsona Family

    The Cassano-Sulsona Family

    Richard, Christine, and their children, Anthony, Jessica, and Nicholas, had been living in an Irvine townhome for over a year. In June 2011, Richard and Christine were surprised when they were told they had three weeks to pack all their belongings and leave. Unable to pay for another apartment, the family was in a hopeless situation. They began staying on camp grounds whenever possible. In other instances, the family had no other option than to stay in their car. Throughout their time camping, Richard worked full time.

    After almost five months of camping, with the winter approaching, the family was referred to IF by another agency. Within the first week in the program, the children's behavior and performance in school improved dramatically. Richard and Christine were able to find 32 hours per week of free childcare for Nicholas, and Christine was able to find a full time job as a certified nursing assistant. With Christine's new income, the family could afford an apartment. In less than two months after entering the program, IF, along with Christine and Richard's family members and friends, helped pay for the deposit, and the family moved into their own two-bedroom apartment in Ladera Ranch just in time to spend Christmas in their new home.

  • Yesenia and Angel

    Yesenia and Angel

    After nine years of bouncing around extended families' homes and motels, Yesenia and Angel finally have a place to call home. Yesenia, Angel, and their children Xavier and Evelyn, were living with Angel's family when the home was foreclosed. With nowhere else to go, Yesenia, Angel, and the children moved into the Valencia Inn in January. With Angel continuing his full-time employment, the family could afford an apartment but needed help with movein costs. By word of mouth, Yesenia heard of the Illumination Foundation's Motel Families Outreach Program. Their Case Manager advocated on their behalf and the family was approved for financial assistance through the Motel Families Program. The financial assistance made it necessary for the family to start building their new lives.

    After months of searching, Yesenia finally found a cozy apartment for her family in October. This new place to call their own was just in time to welcome the newest member of the family, baby Adian. With help, Yesenia and Angel furnished their new apartment and have settled into their community. "Getting our own apartment has been great," Yesenia says. "We finally get to be on our own, set our own rules, and continue building our family."

  • Krisi and Charles

    Krisi and Charles

    Krisi and Charles lived in the Bay Area, where they both had full-time jobs. The couple moved down to the Los Angeles area for Charles's job, where he was soon diagnosed with a rare muscle disorder and no longer able to work. They began to live on Krisi's income alone, but could no longer afford rent. Krisi and Charles moved from motel to motel for almost three years. During this time, their beautiful girl Kiana was born.

    In May 2011, they met an Illumination Foundation motel outreach worker, and they were immediately connected to services through the Motel Families Outreach and later the Interim Housing Program. Through these programs, the family benefited from a number of services, including vision referrals and free health screenings for the baby. With the help of a monthly rent subsidy, the family finally had some breathing room and was able to save money. In the beginning of September, the family qualified for a transitional program, living in their own apartment. They graduated from IF and are happy to have their own place again.

  • The Castillo Family

    The Castillo Family

    Peter Castillo didn't dare to dream that they'd someday be back in an apartment of their own. In 2007, Skilyn and Peter were forced to move out of their apartment and into a motel at the same time they were expecting their second child. Skilyn and Peter began working with Illumination Foundation in April 2010. With assistance from IF and the Collaboration to Assist Motel Families, the Castillos moved into a two bedroom apartment. The Castillos have been in their apartment for a year now and could not be happier. Skilyn says, "Illumination Foundation helped us get out; now things are great and we are doing awesome." Skilyn and Peter are raising three children and feel they have come a long way. Now that they are settled and stable, Skilyn and Peter have been able to set goals for their family. Once their children are older, Skilyn hopes to return to work so they can start saving money for a house. Although they know they have made mistakes along the way, Skilyn believes it is a learning process. "Without Illumination Foundation, we would probably still be living in a motel; our life is an accomplishment we can be proud of and now we are doing better than ever."

  • Kristal Talamantes

    Kristal Talamantes

    In September 2010, Kristal was employed full time and living independently with her son --then she was unexpectedly laid off. She found herself homeless with a young child and no family support in her area. To make ends meet, Kristal and her son moved back to Orange County to stay temporarily with family and old friends. When her grandmother was no longer able to keep the two of them in her home, they had nowhere to go. Unemployed, with no college education or savings, Kristal searched for any help she could find. The Salvation Army referred her to the Illumination Foundation, and IF took her into the Interim Housing Program. Kristal immediately found part time work, enrolled in college full time, and entered her son into pre-school. She is currently working on a Bachelor's Degree in Human Services, with ambitions to continue on to a Master's in Marriage and Family Counseling. Illumination Foundation case managers helped Kristal make the connections to low-income housing, so they will move into their own apartment in October!

  • The Hayes Family

    The Hayes Family

    David Hayes did his best to fulfill the roles of both parents when his wife passed away in 2006. However, with three young children and no childcare, it was not long before David could no longer afford the rent. The family found themselves living in a van in Long Beach. Thankfully, a non-profit agency in Long Beach referred them to the armory in Fullerton. Without any family or support in Orange County, it was a difficult decision to make the move. Nonetheless, David says being here and working with Illumination Foundation has been the biggest blessing the family could ask for. After two and a half years at the Valencia Inn, David and his kids were able to move into an apartment this month through the help of the Collaboration to Assist Motel Families in Anaheim. David says the most important skill he's learned since coming to Illumination has been learning how to set attainable goals. This way, he says, bigger goals are able to be reached. David cites other IF families' success as his motivation to "keep putting one foot in front of the other." What is his advice to other struggling families? "Give it time. Everyone has a specific path they must take and nobody faces adversity without reason."

  • The Fast Track To Success

    By Susanna Smith, Recuperative Care Nurse

    Mrs. D. came into the Recuperative Care Program from the UCI outpatient surgical unit, after having surgery to remove a fast growing skin cancer on her back. She and her husband were sick and tired of living in their car, and they wanted more than anything to have a stable living environment to take care of their unique psychiatric and physiological needs. However, because they came on a Friday and were only allotted four days in recuperative care, finding them housing, financial assistance and medical care seemed near to impossible. But the recuperative care team went to work right away...

    The Case Manager worked over the weekend to get the client connected with housing, HPRP rental assistance, social services, and other community resources. The Medical Coordinator picked up and purchased prescriptions to make sure the client had all the pain management and medical supplies needed to recover with no complications. The Recuperative Care Assistant made sure they had all the food and hygiene items to have a clean, and comfortable stay; the Site Assistant made sure they were safe and felt secure as they felt vulnerable in their current situation.

    Thus, after only four days, this couple was approved for HPRP rental assistance and went into their own private room in a shared sober living home. Even though their situation seemed completely hopeless, Mrs. D. kept telling her husband to have faith and believe it was going to be OK. And it turned out to be so much more than that. After their very brief stay with the Illumination Foundation they left with housing, no medical complications, and a new-found sense of gratitude for those willing to go the extra mile to care. Ms D. repeatedly told our staff how thankful she was for all that Recuperative Care did for them. And we wish the best to you, Mrs. D!

  • The Guerra and Rodriguez Family

    The Guerra and Rodriguez Family

    Linda, Ruben, and their children Jacob and Julissa lived in a home in Anaheim until the family faced a series of difficult events. Linda's mother and brother became terminally ill, both passed away, and Linda lost her job as a paralegal. Unable to pay rent and struggling to find employment, the family was evicted from their home and began living in a motel. Linda's family stumbled upon Illumination Foundation while staying at the Valencia Inn. Since their family's acceptance into the Interim Housing Program, Linda has been working tirelessly to find a job and improve her family's situation. Through Illumination Foundation Linda has been connected to community resources and was even able to receive a desperately needed referral for free glasses. Linda's biggest accomplishment while in the program has been finding a job at a law firm. After months of interviewing with no results, Linda was grateful to find a job that will provide her family with income. Linda and her family hope that this job will provide them with the financial stability they need to move into an apartment and become self-sufficient.

  • Kelly C

    Kelly C came into Recuperative Care with NO medical follow up, no medical insurance, no housing, no identification, no birth certificate, no social support, no friends, no family, and really no hope to speak of. Throughout his extended length of stay, case management connected him with the Veterans Association, HPRP housing, Social Services, food stamps, and other community services. He was also connected with a primary care physician through the VA, follow up appointments, psychiatric therapy and other medical care assessment. Since Kelly C was in the program during Memorial Day, he was encouraged to open up by sharing war stories and feelings and thoughts about social and political systems. It was tragic to hear about how half his platoon did not survive Vietnam, how he still feels like he can see his comrades walking around at times, and how his heart breaks for the corrupt social systems across the globe. After being in the program for a month, Kelly C graduated with housing, medical insurance, social services, food stamps, medications, his birth certificate, Identification and hope. The last thing Kelly said to Recuperative Care staff was, "I just want you all to know... (tears started to come down) I just wanted to thank you for being... so kind to me." For a man who had been so hardened by war, homelessness, and the injustices he had witnessed, the staff was honored to see him so emotional with gratitude for all that the Illumination Foundation Recuperative Care had done for him.

  • The Claydon Family

    The Claydon Family

    Tasha lived in Placentia with her mother, daughters, and other family members when her mother suffered from a stroke. No longer able to pay rent, the family was evicted. After living in a motel for about one month, Tasha and her daughter Carolyne joined IF's Interim Housing Program. Tasha enjoys the positive thinking and problem-solving skills she learns from her Life Skills classes while Carolyne participates in the weekly Childhood Enrichment Program. Tasha also attends a weekly parenting class and has noticed improvements in her daughter's behavior, despite her severe ADHD. Tasha works part-time doing home care because, as she says, "I love taking care of people." Her Case Manager has given her a number of job leads for full-time employment, and Tasha is excited to increase her hours soon. Not only does Tasha love her classes through IF, but she also benefits from the sense of community and the support network among the other families and IF staff. Tasha appreciates the teamwork and respect, and she reports feeling happy unlike ever before.

  • Neal Graney

    Neal Graney came to the Illumination Foundation through the Recuperative Care program in January 2011. Before being hospitalized, Neal was staying at local shelters. Through HPRP funding, Neal was able to find permanent housing at a shared living facility. Neal lives on a fixed income and HPRP was able to help subsidize his rent for 3 months. During this time, Neal was able to pay off old debts and establish a savings plan. Neal no longer requires HPRP assistance. He is able to pay his rent in full and budget his expenses. Neal is grateful for the Illumination Foundation and all of the help that he received.

  • The Derrick Family

    The Derrick Family

    Michele became homeless after months of searching for a teaching position. She joined our program and is grateful to have a consistent place to stay and to be able to keep her children in their schools. Michele is working hard to return to teaching, is maintaining her part-time job, and is attending regular meetings with our Workforce Specialist, who helped her secure a second part-time position. She has also been meeting with her counselor weekly. Her goal is to secure full-time employment and to go back to school to finish the one semester she has left before she can obtain her Master's degree. Michele is grateful to have the support of the IF team and looks forward to getting her career back on track.

  • The Jameson Family

    The Jameson family had been struggling to make ends meet for a while. They even moved out of state in search of job opportunities. With no success, they returned to Orange County and moved into a single room at the Valencia Inn. They struggled with a lot of ups and downs while participating in IF's Motel Families Outreach Program, until the father was finally able to find a steady job as a plumber. This job pays well and has made it possible for the Jameson's to pay off their debt and become financially stable. The mother recently began school and is now studying to be an alcohol and drug counselor, something she is very passionate about. Also, their 11 year old daughter is at the top of her class in reading, and their 4 year old will begin preschool in the fall. The mother reports that her marriage is improving due to her and her husband being busier with work and school. She says, "It's amazing! There are points where I actually miss him!"

  • The Torres Family

    The Torres Family

    Adriana Torres was scared and intimidated when she brought her three children to IF on Christmas Eve. She had become homeless after losing her job and had been living at a motel until her money ran out. In her time at IF, Adriana has repaid debt, started a savings account, brought her insurance and drivers license current, and begun going to the gym. She also has enrolled in parenting classes and has excelled so much in her paralegal courses that she will graduate a month early! Her children, since entering the IF program have become excited about going to school, planning their meals as a family, and living healthy lives. Adriana's goal before entering IF was to finish school and get a job. Now she says her goal is to continue her education and become an attorney. Adriana says that the best Christmas present this year was Illumination Foundation putting a roof over her head.

  • The Callaway Family

    For over a year, Cliff, Robin, and their children moved from motel to motel. When they could no longer pay rent, the family started living in their car. In December 2009, Cliff underwent surgery, and when he was discharged from the hospital he ended up in IF's Recuperative Care Program. About a week later, the family's case manager helped transition them into IF's Interim Housing Program. Through the program, Cliff and Robin benefited from resource meetings, therapy, and parenting classes. With newfound stability, Robin started college; their daughter Leanne received school awards and scholarship nominations; and their son Ben's behavior at school improved. In January 2011, the family qualified for Veterans Affairs rental assistance and moved into an apartment. The Callaways are most grateful to the Illumination Foundation for the opportunity to have their family together under one roof and for the assistance in finding permanent, stable housing.