"There is the concept [people] have. If you're in a shelter, you're either a drug addict or a prostitute and that's it. And that's not true. Everyone in here has a different story."
Ana never thought she would find herself alone, unhoused, and suffering from debilitating depression. But when her son died in 2023, Ana was unable to pull herself out of her apartment, much less make her way to work. She lost her job and nearly her life. Ana’s strength can be witnessed through her retelling of the events that landed her in homelessness.
"After my son passed away in '23. I just decided not to go to work. I was really really upset. I didn't even call in. It was just that," Ana said of how the death of her son affected her. "I just don't want to remember. I didn't even have any grievance [at work] or anything."
Since her son was a full body donor, Ana was not left with a body to grieve, "I had a funeral for him and there was no body there. Just pictures. Poster size pictures of my son... So, at the time of the funeral, a burn victim was getting his skin. Then, he had his kidneys transferred over to someone else, and also his corneas, his eyes."
Research indicates that mental health challenges often contribute to housing instability. Disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia can impar a person's capacity to maintain employment, sustain relationships, and secure stable housing. "I did try to commit suicide," Ana says. "Nobody knew I was there alone in the apartment until somebody came - my neighbor, and they basically knocked the door down because I wouldn't respond."
Ana began receiving shelter from Catholic Charities San Diego. As she says, this experience helped her on a deeper level, supporting her mental health and providing a sense of community.
"Being in the shelter helps me because you hear a lot of people. You hear a lot of voices, you know, like people here. So you're not alone. And that's what keeps me going. I'm not scared. I'm okay."
Support and Stability Saved Her Life.
Ana's says this is thanks to Catholic Charities San Diego, who helped provide her a sense of hope.
"I know it's going to be different. It's a different life even, not my son with me, but they gave me a lot of hope. A lot. A lot of hope that it's not the end. And my faith keeps me going too because I know that it was God's will for this to happen. For a reason, what reason it is - I don't know, but I'm living it."
