Martinez shelter welcomes struggling families
By JOSEPH DYCUS | Bay Area News Group During the COVID pandemic, Jessica Madrid and her daughter, now 6, lived out of a car, in motels and anywhere else they …
Winter Nights Family Shelter helps homeless get back on their feet
By RACHEL HEIMANN MERCADER | Bay Area News Group It was one thing after another. Lea Esqueda had two little mouths to feed, along with her aging mother, when she …
This veteran wanted a career change. Swords to Plowshares steered her toward a new job on California’s frontlines.
By ELIYAHU KAMISHER | Bay Area News Group It has been a whirlwind few years for Jessie Kohgadai. In January 2020, she had an unfulfilling desk job in Oakland. So …
Sunflower Hill more than just a home for those with special needs
By JON BECKER | Bay Area News Group PLEASANTON — Della Dixon had always felt out of place, as if she didn’t belong. Growing up developmentally disabled in an abusive …
ShowerHouse Ministries changing lives one shower at a time
By JOAN MORRIS | Bay Area News Group Jimmy Burris never thought he’d be homeless. A cascade of bad decisions mixed with bad luck meant he became one of thousands …
