Member Spotlight: Elena’s Story
“Step Up doesn’t just give you food. They give you food you can make into a meal.” Finding Her Way Home After nearly 30 years of calling Santa Monica home, Elena never imagined she would find herself living in her van with her beloved dog, Luca. Due to unexpected family circumstances and rising housing costs, Elena lost […]
Member Spotlight: Steve’s Story
“Step Up has given me some purpose in life, and I’m really going to do something with it.” Surviving Out of His Car For a period of time, Steve was living out of his car in Santa Monica, trying to navigate the realities of homelessness one day at a time. Without stable housing, even the most […]
Member Spotlight: Carol’s Story
“It took a while to get here, but it feels right. It feels like home.” A Full Circle of Service Step Up member Carol R. was born into military service. Her father, a Korean War veteran, was the last surviving member of his platoon at Pork Chop Hill, a battle fought in the spring and summer of […]
Member Spotlight: Samuel’s Story
“I thought my life was over, but Step Up showed me I had a future. Without housing, there’s no way I could have felt the way I do now.” Born and raised in a Culver City housing project in West LA, Samuel P. grew up in a low-income environment where drug use was common and […]
Member Spotlight: Sam’s Story
“Being homeless opened my eyes. I’ve always been empathetic with people, but now I truly understand.” Sam’s story is one of resilience, perseverance, and the transformative power of supporting charity organizations, like Step Up. But more than that, it’s a story that highlights how nonprofit donations can directly change lives. Born in Hong Kong, Sam […]
Home for the Holidays: Jerry’s Story
“Step Up helped me change my life. When they handed me the keys that turned everything around. I was able to get my son back.” For most of his adult life Jerry struggled with untreated substance use and mental health disorders. Using drugs and alcohol helped take the edge off but left him chronically homeless […]
Member Spotlight: John’s Story
“Sometimes, I wouldn’t want my son to be with me and experience this. But I also did not want to lose him in the system.” Step Up member John, now 57, has walked a long road filled with difficulties beginning with untreated mental health conditions and intensified by many years of drug dependency. At the […]
Member Spotlight: Jennifer’s Story
“Being homeless is horrible. Every place I called wanted to split us up. I just couldn’t do that. We’re a family. We needed to stay together.” One of Jennifer’s favorite things to do is cook for her family. She loves to bring her mother and her daughters together over a big pot of chili. “It […]
Member Spotlight: Mario
“Living down by the river, I was most scared of the animals. You never knew when a coyote or a mountain lion might get too close. But the worst part was the loneliness. I really missed my family.” For most of his 50s, Mario lived in a tent near the river in his city. He […]
Member Spotlight: William
“I’ve learned that all at once you can lose everything. That’s why I’m so grateful for organizations like Step Up. Sometimes you just need a little help to get back on your feet.” William found out he was losing his home just days after his aunt passed away. For the last several years he had lived […]