A California native, Edgar, had been living in Mexico for about two years when he decided to reflect on his goals and current living situation. His bills for basic necessities were almost his entire paycheck, and Edgar struggled to find financial security.
As a native born and raised in Vallejo, he decided to return to California and rebuild a life for himself. Returning was harder than he expected, as Edgar’s previous record limited his job opportunities. As COVID-19 was ramping up, Edgar heard about businesses in Sonoma County that were desperate for employees to fill essential worker roles. He decided to take a chance and began his journey.
Arriving in Sonoma, Edgar faced life on the streets for about two months. Distressed and desperate, he began peddling drugs for money, heavily drinking, and using substances again.
Having returned to old habits, Edgar was arrested and spent a year in the county jail. His time spent in jail was an awakening. As he learned about Sonoma County resources, he was shocked to find that COTS and other shelters had support systems to assist with Social Security, medical conditions, or other needs. Thrilled by the idea of being able to change his course, he thought, “Let me go check it out, you know because I don’t want to be spending the rest of my life doing time. . . . I would like to feel like a normal person.”
Within a week of arriving at COTS, Edgar was accepted into our shelter, and by using COTS as a reference, he was hired on the spot at a nearby gas station. Things were changing rapidly for Edgar, but due to a miscommunication and attendance policy, the staff was forced to dismiss him from the shelter after only two months.
Returning to the streets, Edgar was unable to maintain his gas attendant job and was left with no money and no hope. He turned to a commercial burglary as his only way to provide for himself. Getting caught resulted in a 32-month sentence in state prison.
Having served 14 months, Edgar was able to get out in June 2023. The same day of his release, Edgar knew he needed to get back to COTS to change his path. Checking in with the front desk, Edgar was dealt some hard news- he would have to remain on the streets for two weeks until there would be another opening in the shelter.
When a spot was available, Edgar rejoiced at this opportunity and quickly accepted. Immediately, he began volunteering at the Mary Isaak Center and with the Downtown Streets Team. He offered free haircuts to clients and helped maintain the showers, restrooms, and other shared spaces at COTS.
Staying in the shelter for eight months, Edgar neared the end of his parole and secured a temporary six-month employment opportunity through the Downtown Streets Team.
Keeping his eyes on his goals, Edgar excelled in his new role and piqued the interest of Petaluma River Park. After he applied for their full-time position caring for the park, they quickly and happily offered him the position. He began working in May and got into the groove of new habits.
During this time, Edgar was also moving forward in finding permanent housing. Having maxed out his days available at COTS, he was referred to another housing program to complete his parole time and continue looking for a permanent solution.
Unfortunately, at his outdoor job, Edgar got a cut on his hand that resulted in hospitalization and surgery due to an infection. Being so close to getting back on his feet, Edgar spent his time in the hospital worrying about his next steps. Thankfully, COTS’ Recuperative Care (RC) program was able to accept Edgar as soon as he was discharged from the hospital’s care.
With a clean and safe space to stay, Edgar knew his hand would heal well and worked on his plan to gain housing. He worked closely with COTS’ care managers and secured a spot in COTS’ People’s Village (PV) as a stepping stone.
Upon his transition from RC to PV, Edgar also returned to his lead position with the downtown street team with assistance. With things falling back into place, Edgar found an affordable place in COTS’ Permanent Supportive Housing program.
Today, he is thriving—housed, building financial stability, and inspiring others with his journey. Speaking at the 2024 California Recuperative Care Symposium, Edgar said, “If I had landed anywhere else, I’d either still be on the streets, be dead, or be in prison.”