For a period of time, Steve was living out of his car in Santa Monica, trying to navigate the realities of homelessness one day at a time. Without stable housing, even the most basic parts of daily life became difficult. Finding safe places to park, accessing food, and figuring out where he could use a restroom consumed much of his energy. 

“It’s really humiliating,” he shared, reflecting on the emotional weight of living that way for so long. Beyond the physical discomfort, the experience deeply impacted his mental health. Isolation, uncertainty, and the feeling of being disconnected from the rest of the world took its toll. 

“When you’re homeless, all you think about is you’re not part of anything,” he said. 

At the time, Steve felt stuck. He was managing health issues, struggling emotionally, and trying to survive without a clear sense of how things could improve. “I had no hope of ever getting an apartment, none,” he recalled. 

While living in his car, Steve began visiting one of Step Up’s food pantries. The fresh food and consistency became an important source of support during this difficult period. 

“They actually give out food from Trader Joe’s,” he said with a smile. “So you can’t beat that.” 

For Steve, the pantry meant more than meals. Because of ongoing health issues and dietary restrictions, access to nutritious food helped him begin taking better care of himself at a time when little else felt stable. 

During one of his visits, a Step Up staff member recognized him from years earlier and learned about his situation. That reconnection eventually led to housing support and a place to finally call home. 

Steve recently moved into Step Up’s supportive housing, and the change in his daily life has been profound.  

“Now I have a bed, I have a refrigerator, I have a nice bathroom with a toilet and a shower,” he said. 

After spending so long focused only on survival, having privacy, safety, and consistency brought an enormous sense of relief. Stable housing gave Steve the ability to think beyond the next day and begin rebuilding parts of his life that had been put on hold. 

He started focusing on his mental health, going to the gym regularly, eating better, and creating routines for himself again. He has lost a significant amount of weight and feels stronger physically and mentally than he did during his time in his car. 

But perhaps the biggest shift has been emotional. With support and stability from Step Up, Steve says he feels hopeful again. 

Today, Steve attends a creative writing class through Step Up, where he works on screenplays and develops stories he hopes to one day bring to life. What started as ideas in his head has become a meaningful outlet and a vision for his future. 

He now talks openly about his goals, not only becoming a successful screenwriter someday, but also giving back to the community that helped him rebuild his life. 

“I want to be a donor to Step Up one day,” he shared. 

Steve says he has seen firsthand how the organization’s approach works, not just for him, but for others around him as well. Housing, support, and connection gave him the chance to move from surviving to planning for a future again. 

“Step Up has given me some purpose in life,” he said. “And I’m really going to do something with it.” 

Steve’s story of hope and progress is made possible in part thanks to the programs and services supported by people like you. To help bring more individuals like Steve home, make a donation today!