Anna's Walk... One Step at a Time

I became homeless back when my husband went to prison for drug abuse. He was also an active gang member. We had been staying with my parents up to that point and before that we lived in our car, in motels and then rented a living room from a friend. I was dependent on my husband’s income. He was working in the fields. He also had done some construction, yet it was not stable. I had also been sick due to an obstruction with my gall bladder. Therefore, I was going through a bad depression related to my sickness, my husband in and out of prison and me not being able to be continually employed. How was I going to provide for my three young daughters and myself? Besides anxiety attacks and my depression, I also abused alcohol. I needed alcohol to function on a daily basis. So the combination of alcohol, anxiety meds, pain meds and a med to stop smoking…I started getting heart palpitations. My doctor then prescribed another med, which caused vague memory loss as well as hallucinations. In the midst of all this, I felt like I was starting to go crazy. I began to stutter and I couldn’t talk. I actually had to call the cops on myself. We all agreed that I was abusing all my medications.

Luckily they didn’t take me in on a 5150 or take my kids away from me. My children and I had to move into one of Community Homeless Solutions’ shelters. We received resources and support from the Family Resource Center of Salinas City Elementary School District. I started going to church. My church family encouraged me and gave me advice. They prayed for me. God was giving me all the signs. I was always pointing the finger at my husband; yet not looking at myself. I was taking us down the ditch all by myself. I could not do this to my kids. I needed to “woman up.” No more complaining. Quit blaming everyone else. Excuse after excuse…always an excuse. Certain Bible verses spoke to me personally. I had to change. That day I quit everything. I went through two days of withdrawal. I stuck with my church and my Bible. This was the 27th of July, 2013. To this day, I have not touched anything! I started looking for work. I used the services of Shoreline Workforce through Goodwill. They helped me update my resume and within two weeks I got a job at Big Lots.

We are now residing at Pueblo del Mar and I am going through a 12-step program. I am also going through the Center for Employment Training’s Medical Assisting program. I am on the road to recovery! I would like to give back to those who have helped me. I am so very thankful. I would also like to help educate those in need of any services that I have received and share the information with them...and give them hope, advice and show them there is a way! If you really want something, there is a way to make it happen.