Sudden changes in life can push someone into homelessness
By Gina Cunningham, HomeAid Orange County Los Angeles
Growing up in North Orange County, California in the 70’s & 80’s, meant that Disneyland was connected to your daily life. You could see the front gates of the park driving down Harbor Boulevard and the Matterhorn towered above the trees like a magical mountain. During the summer months, fireworks went off each night at 9:30pm sharp and could be heard for miles. For those that lived close by, you could catch a glimpse of the fireworks through the trees if you were lucky enough to be outside that late.
As a teenager, I had an annual pass that gave me the freedom to roam about a world filled with fantasy, adventure, dreams of tomorrow and of course, boys! That’s where I met Autumn in 1984. She was connected at the hip to her best friend Sabrina, and they were inseparable. They were two cute toe heads with bubbly personalities - we were all instant friends!
I learned that Autumn had lost her mom recently to cancer, and Sabrina had a rare kidney disease that caused her to need dialysis every week. Nonetheless, they lived life to the fullest and we all danced the night away through the Summer and on weekends at Disneyland. Unfortunately, in the Spring of 1985, Sabrina succumbed to her disease and Autumn now lost her best friend.
I soon became closer to Autumn, trying to fill the void she must be feeling after two great losses, and we quickly became inseparable. In 1986, Autumn’s Dad wanted to remarry and needed to find Autumn a place to live. He was unable to afford to rent her an apartment and at the age of 18, we were working retail and making minimum wage – around $3.50 an hour. So, her dad opted to place her in a motel by Disneyland, right on Harbor Boulevard - not an ideal place for a teenager.
The first time I visited Autumn, I quickly realized that this was not an okay home for a teenager and brought her home to live with me and my mom. To this day, my mom has been known to say to people “most children bring home stray animals, Gina always brought home stray people”. You see, Autumn wasn’t the last person I brought home in my lifetime, and one would say this was an early sign of my passion to ensure housing for all humans. Regardless, gratefully, Autumn is still part of our family today, 40 years later.
Homelessness is closer than you think. What I didn’t realize then and what I know now is 100% true, Autumn didn’t have a permanent nighttime address living in a motel, which technically meant she was experiencing homelessness. Her life suddenly changed and circumstances beyond her control brought her to the edge. Thankfully, she was not pushed over into a cycle of homelessness that so many people, someone you may know, experience each day.
