Determined woman becomes Fresno First Steps Home recipient

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno woman who was homeless for several years is now living on her own and has regained custody of her son.

Dee Dee did not have an alcohol or drug problem, she wasn't a veteran and she didn't have any mental issues, which put her at the bottom of the list for getting help. After seven years without a home, she's finally back on her feet, and the people behind Fresno First Steps Home say it's her determination that's made her successful.

For the first time in nearly eight years, Dee Dee was able to buy presents for her children and grandchildren for Christmas. She doesn't have the money for a tree, but the presents are just a sign of the strides she's made since moving into an apartment and being able to bring her son and grandson home with her.

"It's the first time I've been able to do that in almost eight years. You know almost eight years it's the first time I've been able to buy my kids anything," Dee Dee said.

For seven years, Dee Dee was homeless. A series of tragic events -- including the death of her mother, her son getting hit by a car, and then finally her housing burning down -- left her with nothing. After handing her son off to his paternal grandparents, she turned to the Poverello House to get a temporary roof over her head. A shed was where she spent part of her time.

"Kissed my son goodbye, gave grandma a hug told her 'thank you' for holding him. 'It won't be too long, it'll only be a couple of months,' I told her," Dee Dee said.

Tears were shed and Dee Dee worked every day to find a job and regain her independence.

"The feeling of helplessness, that I'm unable to do anything, unworthy, that's what I felt when I walked through that gate," Dee Dee said.

She volunteered at the Holy Cross Center for Women, and after years she got a chance for a place to live through Fresno First Steps Home. She also has a job working at Saint Agnes Medical Center in guest services.

Saint Agnes Medical Center CEO Nancy Hollingsworth says providing a home first is crucial toward a person's success. She said, "Then their individual commitment to take advantage of those opportunities, and I think that's what's so amazing about Dee Dee is that her success is through her commitment and then the tools and support she received through the program."

"They gave me a ladder to climb, and I climbed that ladder because of them," Dee Dee said.

Dee Dee is hoping to eventually transition from part time to full time at Saint Agnes.

ABC30 is a proud sponsor of Fresno First Steps Home.

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Over the next twelve months, the "First Steps Home" program wants to put another 60 homeless individuals into permanent supportive housing, and they need your help.

They say it costs about $10,500 per year to house an individual or a family for one year.

If you would like to help, here's how to donate:

Make your donation online at www.FresnoFirstStepsHome.org.

Mail your check to:

Fresno First Steps Home

C/0 Mayor's Office

City of Fresno

2600 Fresno Street

Fresno, CA 93721