Home Start Success Stories
Over the past 50 years, Home Start has served over 500,000 children and families across San Diego County. Through a diverse array of programs, Home Start provides wraparound services to San Diego's most vulnerable children and families. Enjoy some of the inspiring and uplifting stories from past and present clients in the videos below.
Video Stories
More In-Depth Stories
From Fear to Freedom: Jane’s Journey Toward Healing and Hope
When Jane Doe first arrived at Home Start in December 2022, she was in crisis. A survivor of domestic violence, she had found the courage to seek help and was placed in our Bridge Housing program for immediate safety and support. But safety can be fleeting when you’re trying to escape abuse. Just weeks later, […]
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Home Start Success Story – Elyse
Twelve-year-old Elyce and her mother sought therapy from Home Start after Elyce experienced racially motivated bullying so severely that she had to transfer to a remote school due to high anxiety and panic attacks. Elyce disclosed thoughts of suicide and self-injurious behaviors. She also experienced sleep disturbance, pervasive negative thoughts, and social anxiety so severe […]
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Home Start Success Story – Sean and Noah
Though Father’s Day was last weekend, we have a special story highlighting one exceptional dad who is on the road to a happy and healthy life with his son after learning key parenting skills from our Community Services for Families (CSF) Program. Sean is a teen dad to one-year-old Noah. At the beginning of Sean’s […]
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Nurturing Resilience: A Heartwarming Journey of Healing with Home-Start Behavioral Health
Meet Niles, a spirited 5-year-old boy on a transformative journey towards healing, love, and resilience. Niles currently resides with his great-grandma Fran, great-grandpa Joe, his aunt Maggie, and his 3-year-old brother Brighton. Their story, though filled with challenges, is a testament to the power of support and therapeutic intervention. Niles’s Story: A Tale of Resilience […]
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Client Success Story: A Mother’s Quest for Support
At Home Start, we believe in the power of transformation, and Beth’s journey with us is a testament to the impact that your support can have on the lives of those in need. Beth’s Story: A Mother’s Quest for Support Beth, a resilient single mother to two young children, reached out to Home Start seeking […]
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Meet Susana – A Home Start Success Story
It’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month And we have an inspiring success story of “Susana,” a domestic violence surivivor Susanna came to Home Start after fleeing from a domestic violence incident in another state. Alone and pregnant in San Diego, she first bounced between hotels and shelters before meeting our Domestic Violence Housing Specialist, Jordan, in […]
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A Healing Place for Sisters – Veronica and Sam’s Story
More than anything, “Susan” wanted to help her daughters heal from their trauma. It broke her heart to see your girls suffering. Fortunately, she found out about Home Start’s Behavioral Health Services program. She first enrolled her older daughter Sam into our program and saw her make great progress and healing. Soon she enrolled her […]
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Meet Michael – A Home Start Success Story
“Michael” was born into a world of trauma and chaos, with much of his early years being surrounded by unpredictability and inconsistency. He lived in a home with parents who struggled with substance use; resulting in his being neglected and not receiving the love, nurturing, and attention needed at his young age. At two years […]
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Meet Valerie
Valerie entered Home Start’s First 5 First Steps Program when she was 18 years old and pregnant, living in a maternity home and newly out of high school. She was alone with no support. After being referred to Home Start by a case worker who helped her get on her feet, Valerie made a commitment […]
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Luciana’s Story
Luciana is the mother to a sweet 9-month-old daughter who was referred by Child Welfare Services to Home Start’s Family Visitation Program. Luciana has faced many struggles, including substance abuse. Ever since participating in Home Start’s Family Visitation Program, her interactions and parenting techniques with her daughter have immensely improved. She attends Child and Family […]
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Justin’s Story
Justin began working with Home Start’s Community Services for Families In-home Parenting Program after his two boys, Junior and AJ, were removed from their mother’s home. The boys had been living in a home surrounded by substance abuse, disrepair, and the selling of illegal substances. Justin was unaware of the conditions his two boys were […]
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Meet Chandra
Home Start’s Bright Futures Candles employee “Chandra” grew up in the foster system. Throughout her childhood, she would have to jump from one foster home to another. After turning 18, Chandra was able to utilize transitional housing. However, she was unfortunately kicked out of her transitional housing program. This is when she was connected with […]
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Meet Pam
“Pam” was struggling to sleep at night, worrying about not having any money to buy groceries for her children. She was going through a painful separation from her husband. Her income alone wasn’t enough to cover rent and utilities. Pam felt hopeless and extra-anxious – she didn’t even have money to purchase milk for her […]
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Client Success Story: Anna (Domestic Violence Survivor)
“Anna” came to us in 2020 after fleeing a domestic violence relationship with the father of her toddler, James. Anna, a teenager, enrolled in Home Start’s Community Services for Families program and her Case Manager Maria, guided her in escaping domestic violence and starting her journey toward healthy parenting and relationships. Sadly, domestic violence was […]
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Home Start Client Success Story: Stacey
Stacey, recent Home Start Thrift Boutique Lead Associate, is living proof that our Maternity Housing Program (MHP) and its Thrift Boutique Social Enterprise are changing lives. Finding Help Exiting the foster system after 10 years, Stacey became homeless and pregnant, and thankfully found Home Start. Her options were either get a job while pregnant, risking […]
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Client Success Story: Jasmine & Jeremy
“A Car Is Not A Home….” Feeling alone and afraid, Jasmine laid awake thinking, “A car is not a home for me and my son.” She did not know where to turn and her options appeared limited. Thankfully, her family physician stepped in and referred her to Home Start. Now, a year later, Jasmine and […]
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Client Success Story: Jonah, Father of Eight
Our Community Services for Families Case Manager Tessa recently shared the following: “I worked with Jonah, a father of eight children, for almost a year. Unfortunately, the majority of this time he was experiencing homelessness. From the beginning, however, he remained focused on meeting with me and ensuring his children’s safety, learning new parenting techniques, […]
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Client Success Story: Mary
Although a little hard to hear her story, watch Mary share how Home Start helped her and her husband overcome homelessness. She and her husband were sleeping behind our Home Start offices In El Cajon. Home Start reached out to Mary on multiple occasions, would give her food and hygiene kits, and enrolled her into […]
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Client Success Story: Raul
Raul was referred to Home Start’s Community Services for Families Program. He was not being the safe and supportive father for his family he desired to be and was not making good choices. While working with our staff, Raul shared many times that – because of his substance abuse problems – he was not able […]
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Home Start Success Story: Meet Hilda
Hilda was placed in the foster care system at the age of 6, so she never had a stable home life. She dropped out of high school and then gave birth to her daughter at age 20. For a while, she lived in a house with her baby’s father and some of his relatives. But […]
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