9 women honored after overcoming homelessness in Sacramento program
The Saint John's Program for Real Change has been helping women and children in Sacramento for the last four decades with housing and education.
On Friday night, some of their successful clients graduated to a new chapter in their lives.
"We want to give everybody that second chance," said Porcha Chambers, Saint John's Program coordinator.
Nine women moved from homelessness to stable living environments.
"I'm very proud of myself," Gocelyn Granderson said.
Granderson is one of the graduates from Sacramento's Saint John's Program for Real Change. The Sacramento native and single mom had been homeless for about two years before getting help from the program.
"There has been days where I couldn't have seen myself here right now, I couldn't have seen myself in school," Granderson said.
Last year, Saint John's helped nearly 400 women and children with housing, meals, and daycare, along with substance abuse and mental health counseling.
They also provide job experience through the plates catering program, which gives the women an opportunity to train as a chef.
"They might not have cooked on a stove in a very long time, so learning how to prep food for themselves and others is a really important skill," Chambers said.
"They really help you get on track of what you want," said Saint John's graduate Lovely Merritt.
Merritt is now training to become a truck driver.
"It was definitely worth it for me and it got me to where I'm at now," Meritt said.
More than 70% of Saint John's clients are victims of domestic violence and more than half had mental health challenges. It's a program that helps women in their darkest days move on to a brighter future.
"To watch them overcome and to see that confidence build and that light back eyes is really rewarding," Chambers said.
Saint John's also offers rental and mortgage assistance to help local families from losing their homes.