Seeing the Unseen: A Day Inside Grandma’s House of Hope

“My name is Chelsey De La Rosa, and I’m a Substance Abuse Counselor.”

But that title only begins to tell the story.

At Grandma’s House of Hope, Chelsey wears many hats—facilitator, advocate, teacher, steady presence, and, often, a voice of encouragement when someone is learning how to believe in themselves again.  Her days move between group sessions on anger management, life skills, emotional regulation, and substance use recovery, and one-on-one conversations that meet each participant exactly where they are.

Because no two journeys are the same.

“Everybody comes from a different place,” she shares. “So I become whatever they need me to be in that moment.”

Some days, that means sitting side-by-side with someone, helping them learn a grounding technique for the very first time.  Other days, it’s celebrating a small but powerful victory—like recognizing when a coping skill is being used without even realizing it.  Those moments, she says, are everything.

“I get excited when they see it in themselves.”

In the homes, healing doesn’t happen all at once.  It unfolds in real time—in quiet breakthroughs, in difficult conversations, in the courage it takes to try again.

Chelsey recalls walking alongside participants through some of their hardest moments: navigating anxiety, managing triggers, and working through the weight of past trauma.  Sometimes support looks like a structured session. Sometimes, it looks like something more unexpected—like a simple exercise to bring someone back to the present moment when everything feels overwhelming.

“It’s about helping them regulate, helping them breathe, helping them come back to themselves.”

And always, it’s about reminding them they are not alone.

There are stories that stay with her—like a man who spent years unhoused, unsure he could ever feel safe inside, now resting in a place he can finally call home. Or the quiet, tender joy of rediscovery—like the man who, after more than a decade, shaved his beard and caught a glimpse of himself he hadn’t seen in years… dimples and all.

“These moments… they’re priceless.”

What makes the work meaningful isn’t just the outcomes—it’s the transformation along the way.  Participants begin to rebuild confidence, develop trust, and learn how to navigate life with new tools and new hope. They practice communication, take steps toward independence, and begin to see themselves differently.

“They learn how to say, ‘I can do this.’”

And they don’t do it alone.

Chelsey describes the homes as spaces filled not only with support from staff, but from one another.  Participants encourage each other, celebrate each other, and grow together.  Over time, many begin to give back—returning as alumni, offering guidance to those just beginning their journey.

“It becomes family.”

Even after participants transition into permanent housing, that connection continues.  Through AfterCare and substance use disorder (SUD) support, individuals can stay engaged—returning for groups, receiving continued counseling, and remaining part of a community that understands their path.

Because healing doesn’t end at the front door of a new home.

When asked what she hopes for each person who walks through the program, Chelsey doesn’t hesitate.

“I want them to look in the mirror and be proud of who they see.”

Proud of what they’ve overcome.  Proud of the life they are building.  Proud of the strength they carry forward.

At its heart, Grandma’s House of Hope is more than housing.  It’s a place where people are seen, heard, and supported as whole individuals—where healing is nurtured, and new beginnings take root.

“We see the unseen.  We hear the unheard,” Chelsey says. “We help them find homes.  And we help them find themselves.”

And for those who make this work possible—donors, volunteers, and supporters—she offers a simple but powerful truth:

“If you could see what we see every day… you would feel the impact you’ve made. Lives are changing.  Hope is being restored.  And it’s because of you.”