Crisanta

Born and raised in San Mateo, Crisanta grew up with and was used to being close to family. When her daughter Mia was born, Crisanta was thrilled—she worked multiple jobs as a single mother to support her new family of two. They lived with Crisanta’s brother, where Mia thrived, spending her days playing with her cousin and bonding with her grandmother.

Crisanta worked hard to support Mia and give her a joy-filled childhood, but Crisanta was struggling with addiction and depression. When building tensions at home finally came to a head, she made the difficult decision to move out, temporarily leaving Mia in the safety and comfort of her extended family.

But the separation from her daughter only compounded her mental health struggles and built a strong desire to ease that pain. Unable to balance her two jobs, she ended up living out of her car for six months. During that time, she was able to visit with Mia during the day, but Crisanta quickly saw that this wasn’t sustainable. She was suffering in the absence of her daughter, and she wanted to build a secure, happy, and stable life for them together.

Initially, Crisanta had doubts about going to a shelter—she had never stayed in one before—but the visits with her daughter reignited her sense of purpose, pushing her to find the best place where they could both stay. In July 2020 Crisanta and Mia arrived at LifeMoves | First Step For Families.

With the warm welcome and support of LifeMoves staff, they quickly settled into a routine, making grocery trips, following COVID-19 safety protocol, and spending time outside whenever possible.

“This was somewhere where I could restart, regroup, [rethink] things and push forward,” Crisanta recalled thinking during her first months at First Step. “It’s hard and lonely sometimes, […but] it really feels like you’re around people who are in the same boat as you and there’s no one here to judge—it makes you feel welcome.”

Crisanta and her case manager check in regularly, reviewing housing logs and job openings, as well as communicating about her mental health and wellbeing. Meanwhile, 4-year-old Mia enjoys playing with the other children at First Step For Families, working on projects with the children’s services coordinators, and zipping around her room during remote activities like virtual dance classes.

In October, Crisanta and Mia joined other families staying at the site for a socially distanced outdoor Halloween celebration (including a full on-site pumpkin patch) hosted by LifeMoves staff. Mia picked a bumble bee costume from the site’s closet of brand-new outfits, and she buzzed around from station to station while Crisanta carved a pumpkin and mingled with her fellow parents.

She made incredible progress to overcome what once felt like insurmountable challenges, but Crisanta is still working towards her biggest goal: giving Mia a home to call their own. She misses her family, especially her mother, and Mia wants to see her grandmother and cousin more regularly.

During her time at LifeMoves, Crisanta has been able to save her money, which will allow her to eventually afford her own place. Equally as important, she has found a renewed sense of self, built confidence in her abilities and her position as a role model and caretaker for her daughter, and fostered her own personal and professional passions to pursue.

While she prepares Mia to start preschool, Crisanta is attending classes of her own so she can finish her GED. Her long-term goals include owning and operating her own boutique, residing permanently in her hometown of San Mateo, and connecting regularly with her mother and family again. Motivated by her own progress and having her daughter at her side, Crisanta knows that they will only continue to rebuild and find their way back to a life full of hope, support, and love.