Prior to Transitory Home, Ramon and Linda and their five children in their makeshift pushcart they call home.

Ramon and his wife, Linda, have five little children, Angela, Andrea, Rica, Lovely and Jane, ages 14, 12, 10, 9, and 7 years old. The family used to be street dwellers. They particularly stayed in Lawton Area near Luneta Park. They had a makeshift pushcart where their clothes and other belongings were kept. In the lower part of the pushcart was a space where the children slept. While in the street, they had to be very vigilant and avoided both child kidnappers and the government’s rescue operations as they did not want to be separated from their children. During rainy season, they had to transfer from one vacant area to another to keep themselves, or at least the children, dry. Whenever there was an opportunity, Ramon worked as a barker for jeepney passengers in Lawton and earned 50 to 100 pesos daily while Linda sometimes worked as a janitress. When there was no work available, they scavenged and sold scrap materials from the street. In order to have food, whenever there was no income, they begged on the streets or attended different feeding activities around Metro Manila.

Lovely and Jane playing with their neighbor in the safe haven of  the Transitory Home instead of the dangerous city streets.

In 2018, they learned about Hospicio de San Jose’s Food for Life-Feeding and Formation. They availed of the said service regularly every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The service provides breakfast to 150 homeless individuals and families, thereafter, Spiritual and Values Formation were done and then lunch was served at noontime. In the evening, they would return to the institution to avail of the Food for Life Night Shelter where 80 homeless individuals were provided with food and toiletries and accommodated for an overnight stay. Ramon would stay in the lower area along with other male homeless individuals while Linda and the children stayed in the mezzanine area.

In August 2018, the family was one of the 5 families who availed of the Food for Life Transitory Home, a temporary housing project aimed at preparing and equipping families with skills for eventual transfer to government housing projects or for independent living. While in the Transitory Home, the family occupied an apartment type family room. Ramon underwent TESDA’s Scaffold Erection and Masonry Training. He is now working as a mason in the institution earning 500 pesos daily. Linda completed Training in Housekeeping however, due to the COVID 19 situation and since they have small kids, she could not work outside the community.

Housing Units at the Transitory Homes

Ramon and Linda and their five children at the Transitory Home

Linda and Ramon consider the institution as blessing sent by God to help them. Linda used to cry while telling her family’s story, and she was just grateful that they no longer find rainy days as scary as when they were still in the street; they are now slowly starting anew. Their five children are all enrolled in the nearby primary school as Grade 6, Grade 4, Grade 3, and Grade1 pupils.

The family is just one of 9 families who are currently sheltered in the Transitory Home. Each family has their own story, a story far from the common misconception that homelessness was their fault. With the help of the institution, these families were able to leave the streets. However, Ramon and Linda’s family is far from being totally ready to be independent, they need a more sustainable source of income, and the children needs assistance so they could continue studying; they still need your help. Also, many other families are out there struggling and praying that someday, they too, will find better homes other than the street; be an answer to their prayers.

Cost to Sponsor a Family

Five housing units are targeted for building so it can be occupied by more families. To complete this, each unit would cost 200 thousand pesos.

Your generosity will help us continue providing temporary housing to homeless families.