Grateful to have a home for the holidays, Katrina refugee Wes
Jackson said he and his wife, Jade Reedus, are looking forward to
raising their 10-month-old daughter, Natalie, in a community that
cares.
Morgan Hill – Grateful to have a home for the holidays, Katrina refugee Wes Jackson said he and his wife, Jade Reedus, are looking forward to raising their 10-month-old daughter, Natalie, in a community that cares.
“We lost everything, except each other, our clothes and a TV and DVD player we took with us, and now, thanks to this community and South County Housing, we have everything we need,” Jackson said Friday. “We wouldn’t have a Christmas without those Girl Scouts.”
The family is now settling in to an apartment on Crest Avenue, arriving from Mississippi earlier this month. South County Housing worked with them, as they stayed with relatives in Salinas, to set them up in the apartment. The agency received funding from the USDA because many who qualify for housing assistance are farm workers, according to Jack Foley, communications and fund development manager with South County Housing.
Though the family didn’t have many plans for Christmas, Girl Scouts with Troop 1389 made sure they had gifts to celebrate with, including a hand-knitted quilt for Natalie, he said. The troop purchased the gifts with money they had raised.
“They brought all kinds of toys for the baby, CDs for me, and for my wife, a foot spa and coffee maker,” Jackson said. “We can’t thank them enough for making this a good Christmas for us, even with losing our home.”
Losing their house was only the beginning of what was to be a long road home for the little family. With the hurricane approaching, Jackson said the family took their small box of belongings and moved in with his mother, but “as soon as the money from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) ran out, she kicked us out.”
He said his family had not been supportive of him and his mixed-race marriage.
The next step in their journey was a cross-country trip in their car. Reedus was originally from the San Jose area, and though her mother and grandmother were still in the Gulf states area, she and Jackson decided to start over near Reedus’ former hometown.
“A family friend sent us money for the trip, and once we got out here, the ball really got rolling,” Jackson said. “We got in touch with South County Housing, through the USDA, and they quickly found us this apartment. They got our cash aid together, our food stamps and all our furnishings. Now an airline has given me a ticket to fly back to drive my mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law out here in their car.”
Jackson has big plans for the future of his family. He hopes to begin classes at the culinary school at San Jose State and, someday, to open a restaurant in Santa Cruz featuring his own creations. He said he’s not planning leave the Golden State anytime soon.
“I know I’m going to be in California for the rest of my life, and I like this area a lot,” he said. “I think a restaurant in Santa Cruz would be great, with all my own recipes. You know, not traditional food, but things I’ve come up with myself.”
Jackson said he and Reedus can never express their gratitude enough to the community.
“We just want to give a giant thanks to the Girl Scouts, to the youth group of the Bethany Community Church who got presents for us, for everyone who has helped us. It’s been a really stressful time, but I think now we can enjoy Christmas.”
