Carlos Jimenez, wife Yolanda and their six children lived in
Gilroy with a sister-in-law, paying half of the rent for a
two-bedroom apartment, when the relative suddenly announced she was
moving.
SAN MARTIN
Carlos Jimenez, wife Yolanda and their six children lived in Gilroy with a sister-in-law, paying half of the rent for a two-bedroom apartment, when the relative suddenly announced she was moving.
“Her son was getting big and it was getting crowded,” Carlos, 35, recalls.
What happened next is all too predictable. Not making enough to pay rent and feed their children, the Jimenezes fell behind on rent and were evicted. They moved in with relatives in the area but “one thing led to another and we left,” Carlos said. The family’s next stop was the Coyote Lake campgrounds, where in March they parked their 1994 green Mazda MPG and set up shop for several months before finally getting a call from a staff member at the John H. Boccardo Family Living Center in San Martin.
The worker from the center, which provides temporary accommodations for families on the brink of homelessness, told the family that they could move into an apartment, which they did three and half months ago, Carlos said.
Although they at least secured a roof over their head, things haven’t exactly become easier for the Jimenezes, who are required to produce various documents to show their financial status. They are also required to attend classes at Boccardo, operated by nonprofit EHC LifeBuilders, a non-profit with several shelters, apartments and programs for the homeless in Silicon Valley. They have completed a parenting class while taking care of the children and working full-time or looking for a job. Carlos most recently worked as a cabinet installer, but is currently unemployed. Yolanda works at Nob Hill Foods in Morgan Hill as a courtesy clerk.
Things were especially tough on Yolanda when Carlos was working. Yolanda’s weekday routine was to get Judy, 15, Carlos Jr., 9, and Christina, 6, ready for school. Carla, 4, and Sebastian, 3, meanwhile, were dropped off at day-care.
“It was a struggle … It was mindboggling,” Carlos said.
Although he has been actively looking for a job, Carlos is still unemployed and prospects look bleak, he said. He has experience installing solar heating panels and cabinets, was a carpenter and also, a painter. One of the companies he worked for closed shop and relocated to New Zealand, he said.
Still, Carlos is optimistic as he puts his trust in a higher power.
“Only thing we can do is hope and pray,” he said.
In the meantime, one thing that Carlos is praying won’t happen is a premature end to “Betsy” the van. The vehicle, which has been with the family through the thick – mostly the thin, really – has been having problems.
“And I love her,” Carlos said of the Mazda van, which he and the children consider an honorary family member. “I’m going to put in a water pump, see what she says to me, if she wants to stick around.”
Carlos’ speech may contain humor but he turns serious very quickly. “Without our vehicle we can’t get around,” he said.
Because he feels Betsy’s days are numbered, “comfortable and secure form of transportation” is what he needs the most, after permanent housing, Carlos said. He also wants to have more choices about where to send Judy to school.
“My daughter’s going to a new school and her grades went up in the first week that she’s been going there,” Carlos said. “She’s our future, you know?!”
Looking ahead to the days when he is more stabilized, Carlos said he and Yolanda hope to take a vacation. Well … sort of.
As soon as he and Yolanda get a chance to go on vacation, they hoped to go see his father.
“He’s in Mexicali, he’s going to through surgery for colon cancer,” Carlos said.
HOW TO HELP
Carlos Jimenez and his family need help with car maintenance and perhaps another vehicle. Like other families who live at the John H. Boccardo Family Living Center in San Martin, they are also looking for long-term affordable housing. To help, call the center at (408) 686-1300 and speak with Irene or Patricia.
