Hope in Action

Story of Hope: Moving here “just made my life perfect”

This story was originally published in our Dreams of Hope commemorative book for our An Evening of Hope Gala, A Million Dreams in 2018. Stay tuned for an update from Valerie and others at our 30th Year Anniversary Gala this October!

Valerie Aguilar is an honor student, a member of her high school scholarship club, Bible club, and marine biology club, and will attend the University of California-Santa Barbara next fall in her quest to become an environmental engineer.

Sounds like the perfect setup for a perfect life – something Valerie herself would not disagree with. But getting to this point wasn’t easy. Homeless for two years, Valerie and her mom took temporary shelter wherever they could find it – with friends, family members, and anyone who would take them in. Having the time or space to do simple tasks such as studying became major challenges.

Salvation came in the form of the Downey View Apartments, a state-of-the-art affordable apartment community in the heart of this Los Angeles County city. “Moving here has made my life so much easier,” Valerie says “Everything is so much. I can finally experience high school the way my friends do. It just made my life perfect; I think. It made me really, really happy.”

Do Fitness! with Uzi!

It is Monday afternoon at the affordable housing community of Promenade in West Covina and a group of residents has gathered, waiting in anticipation for their weekly fitness class. Uzi Tayou, a professional soccer player for the Empire Strykers, is setting up for the day’s activities…

Tayou has become a familiar face at Promenade, Veterans Park in Pomona, Mountainside, and Monterey Village, both in Rancho Cucamonga. As a professional athlete, Tayou has spent decades devoted to health and fitness. A couple of months ago, he came to the Hope through Housing Foundation, offering to bring his expertise to National CORE residents.

“I know our residents have loved having Uzi at their properties. He genuinely cares about the residents, and it shows. His work aligns with Hope’s focus on equipping our residents to improve their physical and mental health,” said Hope through Housing President Greg Bradbard. To show their appreciation, Tayou received thank you notes from his participants, with comments such as “Thank you for showing interest in CJ and being patient with him, it really makes a difference in his ability and confidence” and “Thank you for your knowledge in fitness. And all of your generous time. You have been a good coach.”

You’re invited!
An Evening of Hope: 30 Years of Believing in Hope

Friday, October 21, 2022

Hilton Anaheim | Anaheim, CA

5:30 PM Reception | 7:00 PM Dinner and Program

Enter the world of Moulin Rouge and enjoy a night of amazing entertainment, where the drinks flow and the food satisfies, as we celebrate how far we have come in 30 years thanks to your support. The need is great in our communities, and the need for our work has continued to grow over the past 30 years. Join us on a journey that we hope inspires you to imagine what the world can be when we all Believe in Hope.

National CORE and Hope through Housing Honor:

California State Treasurer Fiona Ma

The County of Orange

Century Housing

John Seymour, III

Steve PonTell

For more information on the event, sponsorship opportunities, and how to purchase tickets, please contact Alyssa Cotter at acotter@hthf.org or visit https://nationalcoregala.org/.

Call for Volunteers

Are you looking for a way to get involved helping children, families, and seniors in your local community? Hope through Housing has new volunteer opportunities for upcoming community events, career conversations, and reading with our after-school programs!

To learn more about all of our upcoming volunteer opportunities, email our Volunteer Coordinator, Jaclyn Murphy at jmurphy@hthf.org.

Mark Your Calendars for Future Events

• Hope Holiday Events – Starting in October through December 2022
• Beauty, Bubbles, & Bites – May 4, 2023