Barnave never imagined that after nearly twenty years serving his country as a United States Marine, he would one day wonder where he would sleep. Yet at 62 years old, that’s exactly where life had taken him.

Each evening, he searched for a place to rest on Oceanside’s streets. Every night brought the same questions:

Would he be safe? Would anyone notice if he disappeared? Would tomorrow be any different?

The hardest part wasn’t the cold or hunger. It was believing that after a lifetime of working hard and serving others, he had somehow become invisible.

When Barnave arrived at La Posada de Guadalupe, he wasn’t looking for miracles.

He simply wanted one night without fear of the unknown.
What he found surprised him. Three daily meals gave him strength to focus on rebuilding instead of simply surviving.

Barnave’s challenging living situation and rising rent left the only option as sleeping on the streets for over 6 months.

“On the streets, I’m always on my guard,” he told us. “Danger was my concern.”

Today, he is working towards employment as a security guard, with the team at La Posada supporting him every step of the way.

LeAnna, team member at La Posada: La Posada provides more than just shelter; it also offers services such as case management, housing navigation, resume-building, linkage to employment agencies, on-site mental health support, laundry and mail services, ID and birth certificate services, and we also provide shoes and clothing.”

Last year we had 207 residents in our shelter; we offer assistance to everyone upon arrival, but we serviced at least ¾’s of those residents with resume building, job applications, bus passes to get to work and for job interviews, referrals to employment agencies, alerting residents of job openings and job fairs, interview clothing and sometimes even a sack lunch for the workday!”

Too often, people assume that homelessness is the result of addiction, substance use, or poor personal choices. While those challenges can play a role for some individuals, they do not tell the whole story.

Homelessness rarely begins with one bad decision. Often, it begins with one impossible choice…and no safety net.

La Posada de Guadalupe is one of six Catholic Charities homeless service programs across San Diego and Imperial Counties. Together, these programs offer a continuum of care for those experiencing homelessness. But perhaps most importantly, they remind everyone who walks through the doors that they still matter.

Barnave told us that Catholic Charities restored more than his housing,

“Catholic Charities reinforced my faith in life…I’m having faith in God and having faith in people again.”

Just as every individual who comes to Catholic Charities for assistance is unique, so are their needs.

By offering low-barrier, trauma-informed supportive programs, our highly trained staff teams know and care for each participant by name, with dignity and compassion.

“I have a place to come home to.” – Barnave

Tonight, someone in our community will face the uncertainty of sleeping on the streets. But because of caring supporters like you, another person will have a safe bed, a warm meal, and a path forward.

Your generosity helps adults experiencing homelessness find safety, stability, and a path to permanent housing – but we cannot do this alone. Each year, a significant funding gap threatens our ability to meet the growing demand across our six vital programs.

Please give today to ensure that more people like Barnave can find hope and faith restored when they need it most. We can continue this important work together.