That is the best way to describe the experience of a single father who is raising five sons, four of whom are under 18 years of age and still in school. Until recently, he was able to provide for them because he was employed as a chef. Then, the restaurant was sold and closed for renovations. Having been laid off and with no other form of income, he signed up to receive unemployment benefits. The $96 he received weekly did little to cover his housing expenses but it was enough to pay for a hotel room.
 

A mother and her three children came to CCA’s Hillside Family Shelter after having ”bounced” from house to house. She moved into her own apartment within the Shelter and began to utilize the services and programs that were available, though the reasons for her homelessness made it difficult for her to “settle in.” She has been able to receive food from CCA’s food pantry, pampers from the New Haven Diaper Bank site at CCA and case management support through workshops and referrals to other organizations.

A woman, her husband and two children, 9 and 7 years old, came to CCA a few months ago. They do not have any family members to help them. So CCA has become their new family during this time.