The story on the Precious Life Shelter, which appears on the cover of our June 27 issue, was quite an eye opener for me. While I did not write the story, I was there taking the pictures and getting some of the tour while our writer, Laurie Hanson, compiled the information.
Of course I had heard of the shelter and had seen information on it, but I had not been there. To see what the shelter has grown into in the past 23 years, is quite a testament to the commitment of the people of the Los Alamitos area.
Using the word shelter is almost inaccurate now, as the facility has become more of a home. The complex has grown from a small housing facility to an apartment-like atmosphere with childcare and play areas and common meeting areas. And the rooms we were shown were very nice living spaces with the ability to house mothers with multiple children.
The facility cares for homeless women and children, who are struggling for a variety of reasons. Each one has to work while staying there and can get help in career advancement, drug treatment or whatever they need to move towards independence. If the father of the child is available and willing to help, they are welcomed to do so.
However, according to Theresa Murphy, the shelter’s Executive Director, on occasion, they will take in someone who has no one to help them. She said that when registering new residents, they will ask for an “in case of emergency,” contact person. Every so often, they will get a teary-eyed response that they don’t have anyone.
That is a tough picture to envision. But it’s good to know that there is a place for those people to go. Of course, the person being helped has to want to get themselves back on track and they have to make it happen for themselves. The success stories are worth the effort.
The Thrift Store that helps support the Precious Life Shelter is 20 years old this year. The shelter itself is 23 years old. Upon opening, the shelter began taking donations and soon found that they had more stuff than their residents could use. The natural solution was to begin selling some to raise money to support the shelter.
Murphy was also recently named area Woman of the Year, by the Cypress Chamber of Commerce. A photo and story of her and her fellow honorees can be found on page three of this issue. And if you’d like to volunteer, see the contact information in the story on the shelter, on page one of this issue.