The first day of February was a life-changing occasion for Japheth. He moved into his own apartment after experiencing years of homelessness. Japheth story of resiliency was featured in an NPR article in October 2017 called “Nowhere To Sleep” that detailed his struggle of being a student at Santa Monica College while homeless.
Japheth’s new housing was made possible by a faith connection through Mayor Garcetti’s Days of Compassion, a convening for communities of faith to partner in actions to end homelessness in the city.
One of the actions called for the faith community to rethink their human and physical assets. From the Days of Compassion, SOH and the Zen Center of Los Angeles were originally linked to provide Welcome Home Baskets for TAY moving into their apartments.
The connection ended up being more than getting a young person started with the essentials for a new home. It lead to the Zen Center of Los Angeles aiding in keeping SOH’s food-on-the-go pantry stocked for youth experiencing food insecurity. Most importantly, the relationship has given Japheth, a permanent home in one of their apartment units.
Now Japheth can focus on his studies and his aspirations to work in the health care industry. He is well on his way to a prosperous future.
Japheth had this to say, ” I love my new place. I beat the odds.”
