Lyvell’s Story

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Lyvell looked forward to sharing his beloved hometown experiences with his daughter, Lyric, as he watched her grow. He had a stable Public Sector job and remained connected to his family members still living in the area.

But his life, stability, and certainty for the future were upended after a workplace injury in 2018. Even after he recovered, medical restrictions prevented Lyvell from returning to his position, and it was challenging to find a more suitable role within his organization. The process continued unresolved for months.

"I had to depend on the money I had saved, but I fell behind on my finances due to the fact that I couldn't work and had an unresolved workers' compensation case. Essentially, I was put on hold."

After losing their home, Lyvell and Lyric initially stayed with family, but the compounding stress of a pandemic, sheltering together, caring for his daughter, and getting back on his feet strained these relationships. He and Lyric moved into a hotel, but Lyvell knew that he needed to find a more suitable environment for his daughter—at this point, his savings were almost fully depleted.

He called local helplines, but quickly found out that as a single father, many programs wouldn't allow his daughter to stay with him. Determined to stay together, Lyvell kept trying—and in October 2020, he and Lyric found LifeMoves | Redwood Family House.

"It came right on time," Lyvell says of the referral to LifeMoves. "I felt like I wasn't going to have anything to give my daughter in terms of shelter or food. We didn't have any options, so [LifeMoves] was a lifesaver."

He and his case manager, Miguel, came up with a plan to work toward regaining self-sufficiency. "I needed some kind of foundation—a routine—and [Miguel] helped me get started." They went through a housing plan and steps to financial security, which provided useful, applicable knowledge for Lyvell while continuing his employment search and settlement of the workers' compensation case.

Lyvell loved spending time with Lyric when he wasn't working towards his goals—watching her grow and participating in the virtual activities that LifeMoves provides to parents and their children.

After months of hard work, rebuilding his confidence, saving his money, and caring for his daughter, Lyvell was able to afford a place for his tight-knit family of two. They now live comfortably in Hayward, and 4-year-old Lyric will start kindergarten this year.

Lyvell accepted a new role at his organization, but due to COVID-19, the start date was postponed. In the meantime, Lyvell is attending a class to access work-study opportunities and build his resume.

"We were experiencing homelessness for about a year. After a while of going between family's homes, being out on the street, sleeping in vans and hotel rooms—it feels really good finally being here in our own home."