Many of the mothers who attended the brunch had experienced hardships during the pandemic. One mother in particular came to La Colaborativa after being homeless for two weeks. She had run out of money and was desperately looking for a way to house and support her children.
We immediately put her in a hotel and during those 10 days, we worked with her to understand her housing transition options. She had lived in Chelsea her whole life and had struggled to find a shelter in the city because there are no shelters in Chelsea.
We immediately called DHCD (the Department of Housing and Community Development) and received no response. But we persisted and on the last day of her hotel stay, we were able to get in touch with someone who placed this mother in a shelter in Lynn, Massachusetts.
The case managers at La Colaborativa are still working to help her find a job that fits the schedule of raising her two children. In the meantime, we’ve connected her to resources to help her process her difficult situation.
This mother’s case is similar to many others who come to La Colaborativa for help, support and survival. Many undocumented immigrants who have lived in Chelsea their whole lives do not qualify for all shelters. With your continued donations, we’re helping families get into temporary housing and create realistic plans for transitioning into even better situations.
