Wanda never imagined she’s been homeless at 59. Her husband has serious health issues, so she quit her job to relocate with her husband to St Louis. Wanda was not able to find a new job so a friend offered her a place to stay in Los Angeles.
After living with her friend for 30 days Wanda came to Ascencia, a homeless shelter in Glendale, California. I work at Ascencia as an outreach case manager. I normally don’t share stories from work, but Huffington Post asked me to interview a few homeless people about the presidential election, and Wanda was so awesome I kept the camera rolling and could not help but ask about her story.
Wanda is what’s known as the “working poor”. She rides three buses – a two and a half hour ride – just to get to her job every day. But she is grateful to have a job.
Wanda has goals. Soon she’ll have a new apartment and will be able to move out of a homeless shelter. I know she’s already looking at plane tickets to get her husband on the West Coast. I am so happy for her.
Wanda’s advice to anyone going through a crisis like homelessness: “NEVER GIVE UP”!
Special thanks to Ascencia.
