I was a well-paid professional and worked for the same organization for nearly 15 years. At 54 years of age, I was happy when they offered me severance pay and an opportunity to take early retirement. I hadn't had a vacation in years, so I took a much needed vacation before beginning the process of looking for another job. Soon I had used up my severance pay, my unemployment benefits, and was shocked when still I had not found a job. I quickly went from being a professional with a stable job to homeless and in a deep depression. I never thought it could happen to me.
I heard stories of women living on skid row, sleeping on park benches, in the park or riding the bus all night. Thankfully I am one of the fortunate ones. I was given a referral to Good Shepherd Center. The staff and the sisters were wonderful to me. Soon the depression began to lift. The case manager at the emergency shelter assisted me in applying for the benefits to which I was entitled due to my years of working.
During my stay at Good Shepherd Center I was able to save enough money to get my own apartment and begin to rebuild my life. I am enrolled in an art class at the community college, something I did not have time for when I was a full time employee. Now, my life as a senior more closely resembles what I had always imagined, rather than what it could have been had I not been so fortunate to have had the help of Good Shepherd Center.
A Program of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.