Wendy’s Story

Wendy is an Orange County native. Born and raised in the area, Wendy grew up living what she called a ‘normal’ life here in Southern California. Wendy started her family in Orange County and raised her children here.

After going through a divorce, Wendy decided to make a change and move to Florida. While there, Wendy started working in retirement homes. Eventually, she found her way to working as a live-in caregiver for older individuals in Florida.

Unfortunately, in 2018, Wendy was hit with devasting and shocking news: she was being let go from her job. Wendy searched high and low to find work but had no luck. After thinking about her current situation, Wendy decided to move back to Orange County, CA to be closer to her children and to hopefully have newer, more stable opportunities.

When she arrived, Wendy didn’t have job prospects on the horizon, and to make matters more difficult she had spent her savings trying to survive while being unemployed in Florida. Because of this, Wendy became homeless.

She found her way to multiple forms of housing in Orange County, eventually landing in one of HomeAid Orange County’s biggest housing developments: a 425-bed emergency shelter for adults, located in Santa Ana.

“Being here makes me feel like a human again– like there’s a chance I could succeed,” Wendy says.

While living in the facility, Wendy has access to counseling, housing navigation support, 3 meals a day, and much more. Wendy shares that she feels optimistic about her future and where her time in HomeAid housing will take her.

*Name of the client has been changed in this story for privacy reasons. The photo above is not of the client for privacy reasons.