VISTA, Calif. — A non-profit in Vista has a 94% success rate in finding housing for families experiencing homelessness.
In this edition of our Working for our Community series, we're featuring one of the success stories coming from Solutions for Change.
"That was my life, a series of times of sobriety and times of addiction," Jessica Kidd shared.
Kidd is a fantastic mom, but admits she hasn't always been.
"In April, I'll have four years clean. My whole life changed. I'm a new person today," she added.
A death in the family left her spiraling. She says she lost her direction and prescribed prescription pills opened the door to addiction and a life on the street.
"That was the most sketchy moment in my life, like, oh my God Jessica, you're sleeping behind a couch."
That life led to a court battle to regain custody of her kids. CBS 8 was there when her daughter got home from daycare.
"She's a bright light. She asks a lot of questions. She'll never know what it means for me to be in addiction. She'll never know chaos in the home. We have a lot of love in our home," Kidd added.
She also has a 16-year-old son, who's into sports and has dreams of becoming a chef. He's glad to have his mom back.
"Look at all those years, she did what she could and look where it got her. I am thankful for that, every day," Jordan Kidd said.
They say God and the non-profit, Solutions for Change are behind their happy family.
"Just seeing what she went through, it's motivating, because that's not where I want to go in life. I pray to God everyday, to keep me strong," Jordan Kidd added.
It was one day in court when Jessica grabbed a Solutions for Change pamphlet from the wall, shoved it in her purse and months later, made the call.
"I let our treatment center know that I was committed and I did just that," Jessica said.
She now works for the non-profit and has set a goal to help other families achieve that second chance.
"I was able to greet people and smile, talk about the program and have self-worth," she said.
Solutions for Change is a 700-day program. About 43 families experiencing homelessness or addiction live here for the first 500 days.
They offer treatment programs, courses on self-care, meditation, job training and more. Jessica improved her credit score, opened a bank account, bought a car and has moved into a home.
"I pay my bills. I am responsible and reliable," she added. " I realized no one was hurting me more than I was hurting myself and so I realized if I could put myself in such a low place like that, I was able to get myself out of that too and I did just that."
As those at Solutions for Change work to turn their lives around, you too can help.
"We are really in need of volunteers with our little ones, so our parents can attend our workshops."
Monetary donations are also always accepted.
Watch Related: Working For Our Community | CBS 8 Special (Aug 11, 2023)