How a Home Also Became a Job: Meet a Proud MidPenner
Marisa, a resident of MidPen’s Fetters Apartments next door, shared her story at the Grand Opening celebration in January 2018. She spoke of a time before living at Fetters Apartments, a single mom of four trying to make ends meet in Sonoma. Marisa and her children lived in a tiny two-bedroom apartment, which became increasingly unaffordable.
When she was six months pregnant with her youngest daughter, she was let go from her job with the school district and took on lower-paying part time jobs to try make ends meet. Everything was happening at once and she was at her wit’s end.
Marisa was excited to see Fetters Apartments in construction as she drove along Highway 12. She added her name to the interest list, knowing it would be a long shot as so many others applied too.
She was ecstatic to receive the letter that her family was selected and approved! Through happy tears, she shared that “having this weight lifted off my shoulders has given me the ability to stand tall and reach higher.”
Today, Marisa is not only a Fetters resident, but a #ProudMidPenner, as a valued MidPen employee. She recently assisted Property Management with the lease-up process at Celestina Gardens, reviewing applications and ensuring residents who qualified and made the lottery moved into their new homes with ease. As a MidPen resident herself, Marisa brought a unique perspective and special care to her work with MidPen – senior residents of Celestina Gardens recognized how she was instrumental in giving them “the ability to stand tall and reach higher” as well.
Acknowledgement
We’d like to thank Marisa and Midpen Housing for sharing their story with us. To learn more about Marisa, Celestina Gardens, and the Fetters Apartments, we encourage you to visit MidPen Housing’s eBook experience at https://www.midpen-housing.org/ebook-experience/