Hope in Action

Offering Hope and So Much More…

“This is how we do it!” Lynda Roman, a services coordinator for Hope through Housing, smiles as she rallies volunteers. The teams at National CORE and Hope through Housing have been working around the clock to provide much-needed food and supplies to the vulnerable families and seniors who live in the more than 85+ National CORE affordable housing communities.

On this particular day, Lynda and her team of volunteers are at a senior community in Fontana opening boxes and preparing food to be distributed throughout the region. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hope through Housing has become an integral part of so many residents’ lives. Working closely with National CORE’s property management teams, Hope through Housing has been able to provide immediate support to thousands of families and seniors across Southern California and Texas.

To help residents navigate and access available resources during the COVID-19 crisis, all Services Coordinators have created regional Community Resources Guides, connecting residents to vital services available in their area. Since the inception of the “Safer at Home” mandates, and with the help of National CORE, our partners, and volunteers, Hope through Housing has fed more than 1,500 households each week and has made more than 6,000 food deliveries.

“We’re a Family Here, and I Know that I am Safe.”

There are roughly 5.3 million older adults (65 years or older) in California. Many are at risk of severe illness with COVID-19 and must be extra vigilant to prevent being exposed to the coronavirus. Many are facing isolation, the inability to access essential services, and challenges securing basic necessities, such as food and medication. The team at Hope through Housing is working in partnership with National CORE to make sure our senior residents have a support system during this time.

Meet Dorotea Manuel.

For the past five years, Dorotea has lived at San Marino Senior Apartments in Montclair, one of National CORE’s award-winning residential communities. She has a living space she is proud of and the supportive resources she needs.

At age 79, Dorotea is part of a vulnerable population facing a common foe: a global pandemic that puts the elderly at particular risk. Her faith and the support of a loving community are helping her get through one of the most challenging times in her life.

In Dorotea’s case, the crisis has kept her more isolated than ever as she recovers from a mini-stroke earlier this year. She’s not complaining – that’s not her style. Rather, she considers herself fortunate for the support she receives and the prayers she knows are being answered.

“We’re a family here, and I know I am safe,” she says, from her doorway – maintaining a safe eight feet of social distancing from two visitors inquiring about her well-being.

The Team at Hope through Housing has been delivering free food to residents during the pandemic. The latest delivery of eggs, juice, bread, cereal, and vegetables will last her a week. In the meantime, she is staying inside her apartment, putting to good use the free Hope through Housing-sponsored Zumba training she’d taken advantage of over the years.

“I wake up and I pray. Then I eat breakfast, exercise, eat lunch, watch TV and pray again. I feel fine, but I do miss people,” she says. A nephew lives in Rancho Cucamonga, and she has friends in the apartment community, but the outbreak has, by and large, kept them apart. She planned to spend her 79^th birthday making rice noodles for some neighbors she won’t be able to interact with. “I’ll leave it at their doors,” she says with a smile.

Loneliness aside, Dorotea is appreciative of the precautions. “Everyone is being very careful and very helpful,” she says. “This is such a great place for seniors. I never want to leave.”

If you would like to help residents like Dorotea, Hope through Housing has established a COVID-19 Emergency Response and Resilience Fund to respond to immediate needs and to help facilitate resiliency over the next coming months.

500 Care Bags for Families and Seniors

Help bring a smile to a family or a senior with a care bag! Many of our residents have been struggling, trying to adjust to the “safer at home” mandates. They are experiencing feelings of isolation and loss because they cannot do their normal daily activities. Parents are trying to educate and entertain their children. One way to send a little extra cheer their way is to put together a care package with items that will help pass the time, make them more comfortable, and bring smiles to their faces.

Hope through Housing has created virtual registries with Amazon and Target with examples of care bag items and we need your help to reach our goal of 500 care bags for our families and seniors. Have fun with it! Be creative! How about a s’mores kit or game night care bag for a family, a knitting kit or a hygiene care bag for a senior? Include a note of encouragement and let them know that you care.

Thank you for your help as we respond to the needs of more than 20,000 residents living in National CORE communities. It’s more important than ever to come together and support our community. For more information on Hope through Housing’s COVID-19 Emergency Response & Resilience Fund and how to create a care bag for a family or senior, please visit www.hopethroughhousing.org/relief.