Growing up in an upper middle class family in Southern California, Jose never foresaw that he would be homeless one day. After graduating from CSU Northridge with a degree in Business Administration, Jose moved to Alameda to begin work at the Naval Air Station. After about one year there, he moved on to other jobs in the Bay Area, including a job with the U.S. Mint in San Francisco, and teaching in San Jose. Unfortunately, after years of working hard and saving for his retirement, he lost it all with a bad investment.
After surviving a car crash, Jose was deep in debt from his many medical bills. Unable to pay the rent on his apartment, Jose moved out and joined the ranks of the homeless in San Francisco. Over the next 10 years, Jose lived in his car, in shelters, and on the streets.
A few months ago, after a lot of paperwork and persistence, Jose was finally able to move into an apartment in Alameda. Due to side effects from the car accident, Jose has mobility issues and is not able to stand for long periods of time. He has arthritis in his back and carpal tunnel syndrome. All of this makes it difficult for him to prepare healthy meals for himself. Fortunately, Alameda Meals on Wheels was able to help. Not only are we delivering meals to Jose, but one of our Board members was able to donate a microwave, dishes and other kitchen essentials.
Jose never expected to spend his "golden years" living like this. He is very grateful to AMOW for providing him meals and the donors that make this possible. We are so glad to be able to support Jose and our many other recipients in need.
