Travelers Aid San Diego

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admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:09:15 +0000

April 18, 2009: Travelers Aid Springtime Soiree

September 2, 2008: "Travelers Aid Day"

A Travelers Aid Volunteer Hard at Work

A Night in White 2005

A Travelers Aid Volunteer Helps a Visitor at the AirportA Night in White 2010

A Night in White: Thursday, June 17, 2010

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admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:13:41 +0000

Sarah & George

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:10:10 +0000

Sarah and George were a two-income family, working hard, and earning enough to afford rent on their one-bedroom home. All in the span of three months, Sarah was laid off, George was injured on the job, and their landlord decided to sell their house. Without income, they were unable to find a new place, and found themselves moving from friend’s house to friend’s house, until eventually living out of their car. Once that was repossessed, they were literally on the street, and needed shelter. For a cost of about $125, Travelers Aid was able to get them bus passes (to look for work) and place them in temporary housing so they could get back on their feet

Seth

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:09:46 +0000

Seth is a 29-year-old Iraqi war vet who was discharged here in San Diego and told to find his way home. He had visible scars from an IED explosion, shrapnel wounds, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder anxiety, but maintained a good sense of humor even though he had been living on the streets for four weeks. He came to Travelers Aid after someone told him he might find help here, and our case manager set him up with the Work Your Way Home program because he did not want charity. His ticket home amounted to $132.00 after our discount. The Downtown Partnership was very understanding, and instead of working him for the thirteen hours necessary to pay for the ticket, worked him one eight-hour shift, supplied Seth with dinner, and made sure we could get him out of town on Thursday, November 19. Travelers Aid provided him with the bus ticket, transportation to the bus station, food for his travel, and a few dollars to help him home. He has a job lined up near Waco, Texas, and is looking forward to getting back to “normal” and living with his mother. He has VA services lined up in Texas for his PTSD, and has enough meds for his trip home.

Jeanette

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:09:17 +0000

Jeanette, a young mother, had been suffering at the hands of her husband of three years. They had separated many times in the past, and each time they reunited, he promised to stay away from drugs and alcohol as well as attend counseling. Unfortunately, each time he also returned to his old habits of threatening her and abusing her physically and emotionally. Both beautiful and dignified, Jeanette had had enough, and on her own, made arrangements for herself and her daughter to move to a shelter in another part of the state. She just needed help with transportation to get there, and we were able to get the two out of town quickly. It cost Travelers Aid $214 to purchase two Greyhound tickets for them.

Raphael

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:08:55 +0000

Raphael’s troubles began when his ten-year marriage dissolved into a very difficult divorce. Through the process, he lost custody of his two children, his home, his car, and everything important to him. A broken man, Raphael became homeless, and spent five years abusing drugs and alcohol before he encountered Travelers Aid. When the Salvation Army’s Men’s Program couldn’t place him, a Travelers Aid Case Manager was able to get him placement in St. Vincent de Paul’s Village. Encouraged by the caring and involvement of our Case Manager, Raphael, 41, has taken many steps forward to rebuilding his life. He worked hard for—and has received—his food/bar handlers training and license. He was hired by a downtown restaurant, and recently began work. Raphael stopped by to check in with Travelers Aid not long ago to say “thank you” for helping him and not giving up on him as so many others had done in his past. He plans to stay in St. Vincent de Paul while he is getting on his feet and saving money. He has high hopes of a reunification with his children, and self-dignity for his future.

Maria

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:08:29 +0000

Like many women who suffer from domestic violence, 43-year-old Maria was referred to Travelers Aid through the Family Justice Center and the District Attorney’s office. This had been Maria’s second relationship in which domestic violence had played a role—her husband had beaten her six years ago. This mother of four needed a safe place to stay as well as a way to get back and forth to El Centro in order to testify against her estranged boyfriend who had been charged with not only assaulting her, but a friend of Maria’s as well. This extremely violent and dangerous person had additionally threatened police officers involved in the case—a fact that lengthened his sentence from what would likely have been one year to seven years in prison. Travelers Aid was able to arrange for round trip bus tickets to El Centro so Maria could testify, and placement in St. Vincent de Paul Village so that this mom and her children can be safe while she gets her life back together.

Rebecca

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:08:08 +0000

Rebecca, age 38, had been in a relationship for seven years with her partner when it first turned violent. Her girlfriend began beating her, and was so violent that Rebecca was suffering from an inflamed and damaged kidney by the time she contacted Travelers Aid to see if we could help her get out of town. The girlfriend was to be released from Donovan State Prison shortly and since Rebecca continued to be threatened by the woman for the duration of her confinement, she was fearful and wished to leave San Diego. She wanted to return to her parents’ home, but her ex-girlfriend knew where they lived, and had threatened Rebecca’s family as well. Travelers Aid was able to assist Rebecca with a one-way bus ticket to the Boston area, where she could move in with a close friend.

Marina

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:07:43 +0000

Still a teenager, Marina found herself pregnant for the third time. Because of her youth, lack of education, and limited resources, her two children had been taken by Child Protective Services. Through her enrollment in a Travelers Aid program called Mobile Moms, Marina was able to turn her life around. The prenatal clinic where she was receiving care for her pregnancy offered her transportation in the form of both bus tokens and day-trippers to and from doctor and testing visits, compliments of
Travelers Aid. Not only was Marina able to keep all her medical appointments, resulting in a healthy pregnancy and birth, but she was also able to make all her court-appointed and legal appointments, satisfying the requirements necessary to be reunited with her older children. She was able to prove that she was a caring and responsible mother to all three children. Marina was made to feel that her baby and children were “important to somebody else,” and that “she could get her life back together.”

Ken

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:06:52 +0000

A Canadian man came to Travelers Aid as his last hope. The man was broke, desperate, and close to suicide. Having come to San Diego from Canada in hopes of finding work and beginning a new life, Ken endured several set-backs, including having his truck break down. Since he was taking medication for a chemical imbalance, once the medication ran out, he was no longer fully functioning. The staff at County Mental Health couldn’t help him because he is a Canadian citizen and had no valid insurance. Without his truck, Ken couldn’t get back to Canada where he has health coverage, and was told that he would only be extradited back to his country if he committed a felony. At the end of his rope, Ken felt his choices were to commit a serious crime or commit suicide. Travelers Aid was able to arrange for a one-way bus ticket back to Vancouver for him, and the tension release and gratitude on his face were unmistakable. As he left for the bus station, full of relief, he said, “You are the only nice people I have met; thank you.”

It’s unusual to hear back from the clients we help, but Ken sent Travelers Aid a postcard from Vancouver a few weeks later. He said that we literally saved his life. He was currently receiving help from social service agencies in Canada, had found part-time work, and was re-enrolling in high school so he could receive his diploma. So thankful for his new lease on life, he just had to keep us in the loop.