How Marilyn Is Rebuilding Her Life — and Fighting to Bring Her Family Back Together

In April 2025, Marilyn lost custody of her children.

At the time, she was homeless, struggling with mental illness, recovering from addiction, and overwhelmed by circumstances she never imagined her life would become.

“I was a mentally ill homeless mother,” Marilyn shared honestly.  “And I needed help.”

She had nowhere to go, no stability, and no clear path forward.  But despite everything she had lost, Marilyn held onto one powerful motivation:  her children.

Today, after entering Grandma’s House of Hope, Marilyn says she is no longer simply surviving — she is rebuilding herself into the mother she wants to be.

“Grandma’s House of Hope has helped me recover emotionally, physically, and mentally,” she said.  “It’s helped me with stability and resilience and having a growth mindset.”

With the support of Grandma’s House of Hope, Marilyn has spent the past several months learning skills that are helping her heal from trauma, strengthen her mental health, and prepare for long-term independence and reunification with her children.

She proudly listed the tools she has gained during her time in the program:

“Emotional intelligence, managing stress, self-regulation, boundary setting, assertive communication, conflict resolution, de-escalation techniques, social awareness, time management, building habits, professional communication, and difficult conversations.”

These are more than just life skills for Marilyn — they are the foundation she believes will help her become the mother her children need.

“I think these skills will make me a great mother,” she said.

For Marilyn, healing also meant confronting addiction.  She shared that she struggled with Xanax and cannabis addiction beginning at just 13 years old and nearly lost her life to an overdose while still in middle school.

Now, she regularly attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings and is committed to maintaining her sobriety.

“Grandma’s House of Hope has helped me with a former addiction that I had,” Marilyn explained.  “If I ever feel some type of way, now I’m trained to step back.”

As she continues rebuilding her life, Marilyn says she finally feels hopeful about the future again.

“When I was little, I wanted to be a doctor,” she recalled.  “I forgot about that dream for a long time.”

This summer, Marilyn will begin studying pre-medicine at Golden West College with hopes of entering the orthopedic medical field someday.  She says the confidence to dream again came from finally feeling safe, supported, and stable.

“What I really like about Grandma’s House is the order,” she said.  “Waking up at a set time, keeping our space clean, learning, job searching, working out — it’s helped me build structure.”

That structure has helped Marilyn begin envisioning a future that once felt impossible.

“When I picture my future,” she said,  “I see my kids with me again. I see myself financially responsible, emotionally intelligent, and helping the community.”

More than shelter, Marilyn says Grandma’s House of Hope gave her a true sense of home.

“It feels like grandma’s house and my home,” she said.  “There’s no indication that it’s a shelter.”

She described the peaceful environment, the flowers and plants, the sense of community, and the feeling of safety that allowed her to begin healing.

“What makes Grandma’s House different is that they care about your wellness and teach long-lasting self-sufficiency,” she explained.  “And there’s community here. It’s not just transactional.”

When asked what her life would look like if she had never come to Grandma’s House of Hope, Marilyn became emotional.

“I wouldn’t have stability,” she said quietly.  “I wouldn’t be the best version of myself.”

Today, Marilyn’s greatest goal is reunification with her children — and every class attended, every meeting completed, every healthy habit formed, and every step toward stability is part of that journey.

“You guys changed my life,” she said through tears.  “Not just for me, but for my legacy.”

For Marilyn, Grandma’s House of Hope did more than provide shelter.  It gave her the tools to rebuild her identity, reclaim her purpose, and become the mother she always wanted to be.

One day, Marilyn hopes her children will look back and see not the moment their mother fell — but the moment she chose to rise.

And because of the support, structure, and love she found at Grandma’s House of Hope, that future finally feels possible.