Gloria joined the ACOF community in 2020 and currently resides in the Sun Valley community of Los Angeles. After experiencing homelessness due to stress and depression, she found her forever home with ACOF.

Gloria became homeless after losing her job and no longer being able to afford to pay her rent. Soon enough, Gloria found herself depressed and having to decide whether to use her savings for food or her rent, ultimately choosing to use what little she had for food. Being homeless posed a threat to her survival and critically affected her mental health, thus she took it upon herself to seek mental health services. Unfortunately, Gloria did not have a stable home, at times having to shelter herself in unsafe encampments where she was surrounded by drug abuse and crime. This made it very difficult for her to not seek and receive mental health services that she desperately needed.

While homeless, Gloria started a treatment plan provided to her by the Department of Mental Health of Los Angeles, which included locating housing for her. In 2020, Gloria was notified that ACOF would be providing her with a permanent supportive home and community. Gloria states “The process was extremely warm and welcoming. ACOF went above and beyond to navigate me into housing, from the initial meet and greet, to the paperwork process, to finally being told that I would be moving into my new apartment. During this process, I felt like I mattered and all of the service providers assisting me through the process gave me hope that I would no longer be homeless.”

Gloria is now a part of a caring community at ACOF and states “I had lost hope and felt like I was invisible. But the staff at ACOF made me feel wanted and important. They have helped restore my pride and dignity and have removed the stigma of being homeless.”