When Ina Albert was laid off from her job as a school office manager in 2021, her world fell apart.
She lost her work community, income and benefits. The 35-year-old Oakland resident fell into depression, consumed by anxiety and financial stress. She started working as a DoorDash driver to make ends meet. Then, in December 2021, she found out she was pregnant.
When late rent notices started arriving, she scrambled to look for resources, but said many organizations didn’t respond. A local eviction defense center pointed her to the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, which has been working to prevent homelessness and support food banks through charitable donations since 1986.
“For me it was really devastating. It was just a roller-coaster of emotions,” Albert said. “Basically, my whole life came to a full stop.”
“Once I heard from Season of Sharing, that was the first relief of like, ‘OK, there is help,’ ” Albert said.
Albert, a native of Germany, moved to the Bay Area in 2016. She started working at Silicon Valley International School, a private school on the Peninsula where she developed a strong community over five years. She loved her job.
When that abruptly came to an end, she said, “my world shattered.” Albert said she isolated herself and felt disconnected, especially given that most of her family is still in Germany.
“For me it was really devastating. It was just a roller-coaster of emotions,” Albert said. “Basically, my whole life came to a full stop.”
Albert’s partner, Bobby Johnson, was still employed but earning less than their monthly rent. Albert applied for and received disability benefits due to her mental health struggles, which prevented her from working. She applied for other help from the state but said she was placed on wait lists. Once the disability benefits ran out, the couple were relying solely on Johnson’s income and unable to make rent payments. The late rent notices kept coming, Albert said.
“When only one partner is working and you have a baby on the way, it takes a toll on everybody in the family,” she said.
The pregnancy, while an added financial stress, saved Albert. She said she found a new purpose in her daughter, who was born in August 2022.
“When only one partner is working and you have a baby on the way, it takes a toll on everybody in the family”
Season of Sharing provided the financial assistance to help Albert and Johnson get back on their feet and avoid eviction.
“I was just so grateful,” she said of the grant money. “When you see your bills piling up, anything is really a blessing.”
While her life had taken an unexpected turn, she started embracing it. She connected with other new mothers through a support group at her hospital. She took breast-feeding classes and became a certified lactation consultant to help other new moms. She leaned on meditation and other mental health practices if she felt herself slipping.
Marisol Pinto, an Alameda County case worker who helped Albert with the Season of Sharing program, said she was struck by her resilience.
“I’m always very impressed with people who are brave enough to move to a country where they don’t know the language and don’t know anybody,” Pinto said. “What struck me was her courage and her resourcefulness.”
Pinto thought Albert’s story would resonate with others.
“It’s a story of an everyday person. We all might be struggling,” Pinto said. “She’s every person, every mom, every immigrant.”
Albert recently went back to work part time as a virtual assistant for the Cupertino Education Endowment Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money for Cupertino public schools. (Working remotely means she can also take care of her young daughter.) She’s passionate about education and told Pinto she wants to eventually open a language school.
“It’s a story of an everyday person. We all might be struggling,” Pinto said. “She’s every person, every mom, every immigrant.”
Albert again feels like she has a future to look forward to. It was hard, Albert said, to admit she needed help. But it was the best thing for her and her family.
“I’d always encourage people to not give up and keep reaching out to organizations” for help, she said. “We are never alone.”
Reach Elena Kadvany: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com
At Season of Sharing Fund, we believe that an unexpected financial crisis should never mean losing your home. Preventing homelessness isn’t just kind—it’s also the most effective way to keep our communities thriving. 100% of your donation keeps Bay Area residents housed, cared for and nourished.
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