SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Living on the street is a reality for many here in San Diego county, but it can be especially hard for families with children. Tuesday morning, volunteers and staff with Father Joe’s Villages did some holiday shopping for 150 kids and their families who are living in the shelter.
The group loaded up their shopping carts at the Walmart in Chula Vista with a bunch of toys and goodies.
“My heart is super strong. I’m here, and I’m so happy,” says new mom Nubia Rodriguez.
Rodriguez says she’s grateful to have a warm place for her and her 3-month-old baby girl.
“I’m coming from the street,” says Rodriguez. “When coming here, I feel an opportunity.”
She has been staying in the shelter for six months. She tells ABC 10News she lost her job during the pandemic. It was hard to find work because she was pregnant. This eventually led her to lose her apartment. But Rodriguez says the staff at Father Joe’s Villages have been nothing short of amazing.
Lewis Diodonet has been staying in the shelter for about three weeks with his wife and one-year-old son.
“We stayed in hotels as long as we could,” says Diodonet. “I had savings to stay in hotels. After that ended, we had our suitcases and walked the streets for a couple of nights.”
But the dad says the staff at the shelter found his family an open spot.
Diodonet says finally having somewhere for his son to run and play is “the most heartwarming thing ever.”
He adds, “he’s been stroller ridden for the longest time because we wouldn’t let him out on the street or anything. It wasn’t an environment he could play or do anything.”
Homelessness continues to be a crisis in the county. According to the San Diego County Regional Task Force on the Homeless, there are more than 8,000 individuals without a place to call home.
Diodonet says he’s grateful for the staff and volunteers who took time to do some holiday shopping for the shelter families.
“I can’t afford any gifts at this moment,” says the dad. “I used all my savings trying to keep him sheltered and a roof over his head. To have people help with that, I don’t know; I can’t describe the feeling.”
