Explore OurStories of Hope Share this Article Probably no one in the Bay Area is more confident about 2013 than Debra Cargile. “It’s going to be a great year. I tell everyone,” said the infectiously upbeat 58-year-old Santa Rosa resident. “As for me, I feel fabulous. I have everything I need – my health, a roof […]
Explore OurStories of Hope Share this Article Two children run about, rambunctious and giggling while their father, Arthur Caberto, watches fondly. The children, Antony, 7, and Gemma, 8, proudly show off their bedrooms while deftly dodging furniture and talking over one another, competing for attention. Caberto, 56, of San Francisco was diagnosed with stage three blood […]
Explore OurStories of Hope Share this Article On a warm day last June, Sergio Hernandez felt a slight pain in his belly – not quite a stomachache, and not quite a cramp. The 42-year-old grocery worker ignored it. But by the fourth day, the pain was so intense that there was no ignoring a trip to the […]
Explore OurStories of Hope Share this Article Belem and Alicia Gomez know what it is like to work hard, to struggle and to live through disappointment. That knowledge was in their eyes the other day as they sat together in their small apartment in Napa while Belem discussed their latest predicament. It all started two years ago, […]
Explore OurStories of Hope Share this Article Blaine Johnson, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco and Marin Food Banks, has so many touching stories about the people her nonprofit organization helps that she writes them down. The story of Deborah Brooks is an example. Brooks works the night shift at a housing nonprofit for the homeless, but […]
Explore OurStories of Hope Share this Article Cold-cocked by the blow, Jennifer Pumpetch’s mind drifted into a state of near bliss. In that hazy moment, she heard the faint sound of her 10-year-old self laughing with her classmates on a playground, somewhere in her native San Francisco. But as she regained consciousness, and her eyes focused […]
Explore OurStories of Hope Share this Article Glenda Minor of San Francisco was just weeks away from being homeless, with no children and no family members she could turn to. Sick since childhood with chronic asthma and diagnosed with congestive heart failure two years ago, she had medical bills and a rent that became more […]
Explore OurStories of Hope Share this Article After 14 years with the U.S. Postal Service and several more as a property manager, Tracie Long found herself unemployed. She filed for unemployment insurance benefits, and when those ran out, welfare. “I was looking for a job the whole time,” said Long, a single mother of three. “I’ve never ever been […]
Explore OurStories of Hope Share this Article Growing up in a poor family with seven siblings, Shelley Grayson knew she could never afford to go unemployed for long. As soon as she could start working at 15 1/2 years old, Grayson was hired by Kentucky Fried Chicken. She worked throughout her undergraduate years at UC Davis, even […]
Explore OurStories of Hope Share this Article Ana Sanders is expecting a very quiet Christmas. No parties, no turkey dinners, no extravagant visits from Santa. And she couldn’t be happier. “I’m just thankful for what I have. Right now, this is enough for me,” said Sanders, 34, as she chopped vegetables for her family’s dinner in […]
