I am 38 years old. I was born and raised here in San Francisco Hayes Valley, Fillmore. I have three kids. I also taught my kids before our life took a left turn about 2 and a half years ago. I have been homeless ever since. I was in a really bad relationship domestically, physically, socially, and emotionally. My kids were illegally taken from me by Child Protective Services. I really don’t know what’s going on; I don’t know where they are.
I’ve come to the Street Sheet and so far it’s kept me alive. I felt almost dead. And as soon as I took the job selling the Street Sheet newspaper it has made such a big difference in my life. It keeps money in my pocket every day and when I am no longer homeless, I will still work with the paper. I will still use every dime that I can to give back to the paper. Whatever I can do to make the Street Sheet stronger because I really believe in it. I think it’s a powerful tool and it’s become a powerful tool in my life. It brings tears to my eyes. What a difference it’s made for me and what it will have made for my children.
I would never willingly separate from my children. I love them so much. They mean everything to me. This is my final stand of warriorism as a mother and a woman and I cannot let anyone take that from me. It is extremely difficult to know that you have children out there and to see that they’re running around with crystal meth at nine years old. It is wrong.
CPS haven’t followed up on anything. I don’t understand. They don’t take me seriously now. I’m trying so hard, reading all of these books on how to not become part of bad situations. All of these books I’ve been reading just to make sure that this doesn’t ever happen again in my life. One time is enough. I can’t take it anymore. I work very hard for my money and I am not going for any B.S. and I’m tired of just surviving. I don’t want my kids to think that the way they’re living right now is the right way to live. The main fight is to get my kids back and get them protected inside of a home, a stable home. Once I get this house I can regain stability and get my kids back. I will be blessed again when I have my kids back. When everything is back to normal, I will finish up my degree so I can maybe become a police officer and make sure that I can help people and make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen to anyone else. No matter how old I am. Put it this way: I should be dead. Nobody survives this long by themselves, but I love my kids and I’m not gonna let them die, and they’re not gonna let me die. And we deserve each other.