Patti put her adult daughter’s needs ahead of her own and found herself homeless on her 70th birthday.
In 2000, she relocated from Georgia to San Mateo to help her mentally ill daughter care for her newborn son. Patti is no stranger to hard work. Despite chronic knee pain, she worked as an Uber and limo driver to support her family until a traumatic injury ended her ability to drive.
Patti needed surgery and the hospital bills came pouring in. Not long after, she was unable to afford rent and her family lost their housing. Patti’s former employer offered her a small room in a building he owned, but it could only accommodate one person. In an act of love, she arranged for her daughter to take the room. Patti lived out of her car and did what she could to survive.
Patti entered Safe Harbor shelter in August 2017. With the help of her case manager, she found full-time work at a nearby storage facility.
Approximately 60% of Safe Harbor residents are employed
With the help of Samaritan House and its myriad programs, Patti finally found a place of her own. She visits her daughter weekly and is in close contact with her grandson.
Would you be interested in volunteering at our shelter? Click here to learn more