On This Int’l Women’s Day, We Celebrate Iris!
“I know what it takes to get things done and to organize the community because I’ve done it, and that’s why I’m sharing my story. Many are struggling to pay their rent.”
This is Iris, and she is incredible.
She knows how it feels to be abandoned and to feel like she has no options, and thanks to generous One Month Away donors she also knows what it’s like to have the community show up and let her know they care. Iris was on the brink of eviction, the community stepped in and made sure she didn’t end up evicted and out on the streets.
“With the help you guys gave, I was able to pay bills and it took so much stress away. Thank you.”
That’s not what makes Iris so incredible, though. Many people get help, but not everyone turns that struggle and pain and frustration into such passion. Iris knows how much life can hurt, and she’s doing everything she can to make sure others don’t.
“I know the struggle of not being able to pay rent, and I know what it’s like to try to explain to my kids that I’m not sure if we’ll make it. The psychological stress is so difficult. My kids are depressed and I’m depressed, but I’ve been able to handle it because of the Community. I have a great church that has supported me and given me strength as well.”
For Iris, the struggle goes way back to the world pre-pandemic. It was difficult for her to share parts of her story, but she insisted on getting the words out—she wanted us to know.
“My daughter was bullied and beaten a lot in middle school. It started after her dad was deported, people started making fun of her for not having a dad because he was taken away…it was a difficult and dark time for us. My daughter was depressed and became suicidal. I found hope and support from the two churches I’m a part of as well as from the broader community.”
What did she do? What would you do if you were alone, raising kids who were struggling with abuse at school while your spouse wasn’t able to be present to offer help?
“I was depressed too—though I don’t know if I knew it at the time—so I decided to start volunteering at Rosa Parks Elementary, and it helped. It has made me a better community member, better mother, and better advocate. Getting busy and helpings others really helped me beat that depression.”
Not only did volunteering at school help with her depression, it also helped Iris be closer to her kids to offer more in-person support and protection. Over time, the bullying stopped. Her daughter and the family began to move past their grief and build a life together. Then the pandemic hit.
Today, Iris owes several months rent and is working to make ends meet and pay her debt. She’s grateful to have a landlord who is patient and understanding, especially considering how many aren’t.
“Many renters don’t know there’s an eviction moratorium in place, and they suffer more for not knowing. One friend of mine was being harassed over and over by his landlord, and we are making sure people like this know their rights. We can push for extensions and advocate for more fair treatment. I know people who’ve been evicted during the moratorium because they didn’t know better. They were immigrants and were afraid.”
So on this International Women’s Day, we celebrate Iris. She is strength, confidence, and kindness. She’s sun-fired love and full of faith. She’s been to that dark place of despair and come out of it. She knows just how resilient she can be, and she’s not giving up.
“My kids have to see me as a strong woman. When they see my crying, they get worried or depressed. I know God will never abandon me. I keep faith that we will find a way.”
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Special thanks to two amazing partners, The San Diego Foundation and The San Diego Housing Commission for helping make this eviction prevention work possible!