Marie Harvey and her cat Mel were living in an unhealthy situation. Season of Sharing Fund helped them move into a new apartment thanks to rental deposit assistance.

Marie was a pre-school before a series of back injuries left her in excuciating pain. She's making progress with her recovery in her new home — thankfully on the first floor — and she's hoping to get back to school soon.

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SHARING STORIES is a series of portraits of people in the Bay Area who have received one-time emergency rental assistance from Season of Sharing Fund.

Rental assistance programs like Season of Sharing Fund are there for people when a month or two of rent can make the difference between staying in their home or becoming unhoused. Ultimately, rental assistance programs help prevent homelessness.

If you or someone you know in the Bay Area has experienced an unforeseen crisis and could benefit from one-time financial assistance from the Season of Sharing Fund, learn how to apply. If you are not in the Bay Area, you can always call 2-1-1 for local assistance.

If you want to hear more stories from people who benefited from this safety net, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thanks for listening. And have a safe and happy holiday.

She lost her stomach to cancer. Season of Sharing Fund made sure she could stay in her home.

Olivia Alatorre worked hard to take care of her family for 40 years, but was diagnosed with stomach cancer soon after she retired. She couldn't eat, lost 125 pounds and her medical bills piled up as she received treatment. She fell behind on her rent and her landlord threatened eviction. Season of Sharing Fund helped pay her back rent, so she could stay in her home and cook her annual holiday meal with her family. ----

SHARING STORIES is a series of portraits of people in the Bay Area who have received one-time emergency rental assistance from Season of Sharing Fund.

Rental assistance programs like Season of Sharing Fund are there for people when a month or two of rent can make the difference between staying in their home or becoming unhoused. Ultimately, rental assistance programs help prevent homelessness.

If you or someone you know in the Bay Area has experienced an unforeseen crisis and could benefit from one-time financial assistance from the Season of Sharing Fund, learn how to apply. If you are not in the Bay Area, you can always call 2-1-1 for local assistance.

If you want to hear more stories from people who benefited from this safety net, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thanks for listening. And have a safe and happy holiday.

Troy advocates for for people like himself, who struggle to put food on the table. As food insecurity grows, Season of Sharing Fund donates more than $2 million each year to food banks in the Bay Area, which pays for more than four million meals.

Currently, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank has a waiting list of 7,000 families. And that is even before drastic cuts to food programs have taken effect at the national level. As the need surges, Tory Brunet uses his voice and life experiece as part of the Food Bank's Policy and Advocacy Coalition to advocate for more funding from California and local governments.

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When an unexpected crisis occurs, too many of our neighbors are having to choose between rent and necessities, like food and medical care. Programs like Season of Sharing Fund are there for people when a month or two of rent can make the difference between staying in their home or becoming unhoused. Ultimately, rental assistance programs help prevent homelessness and food banks prevent hunger.

If you or someone you know in the Bay Area has experienced an unforeseen crisis and could benefit from one-time rentall assistance from the Season of Sharing Fund, learn how to apply.

If you are not in the Bay Area, you can always call 2-1-1 for local food and rental assistance.

If you want to hear more stories from people who benefited from this safety net, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thanks for listening. And have a safe and happy holiday.

Their daughter was born three months early. Season of Sharing Fund got them back on their feet.

Jaime and Alejandra Ramirez's daughter Maria was born prematurely at 26 weeks and she had to stay in the hospital for over a year. During that time, Jaime's work dried up, the family depleted all of their savings and they worried about how they were going to pay their rent. Their landlord suggested they call 2-1-1. That's how they found out about Season of Sharing Fund, which was able to help with two months rent.

During those two months, Jaime was able to find a new job...and is now a donor to Season of Sharing Fund. ----

SHARING STORIES is a series of portraits of people in the Bay Area who have received one-time emergency rental assistance from Season of Sharing Fund. I have been working with them for two years on their podcast.

Rental assistance programs like Season of Sharing Fund are there for people when a month or two of rent can make the difference between staying in their home or becoming unhoused. Ultimately, rental assistance programs help prevent homelessness.

If you or someone you know in the Bay Area has experienced an unforeseen crisis and could benefit from one-time financial assistance from the Season of Sharing Fund, learn how to apply. If you are not in the Bay Area, you can always call 2-1-1 for local assistance.

If you want to hear more stories from people who benefited from this safety net, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thanks for listening. And have a safe and happy holiday.

Over the course of Season 02 of this series, we are going to introduce you to a few of the folks who've recently received one-time support from Season of Sharing Fund.

If you want to hear more profiles of help and hope, or if you want to find out how you can help neighbors in crisis, go to SeasonofSharing.org/podcast.

Did you know that one in four people in the United States have less than $1000 in savings?What this means is that many of our neighbors are one crisis away — a car accident, a sick pet, a health emergency, you name it — from falling behind and having to choose between rent and necessities like food and medical care.

Thanks to our donors and partner agencies, since 1986, Season of Sharing Fund has been able to provide some peace of mind to more than 190,000 people in the Bay Area when they needed it most. And as food insecurity grows, we provide funding for more than 4 million meals each year in the nine counties of the Bay.

Together, we help our neighbors remain housed, cared for, and nourished — so they can get back on their feet.

Over the course of this season of SHARING STORIES, you to got meet a few folks who've recently received one-time support from Season of Sharing Fund — and a couple who help make it happen.

In this final episdoe, we end on a hopeful note. I asked many of the people who were profiled: what would you do if you had a magic wand — with three wishes? Here's what they said...

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SHARING STORIES is a new a series of portraits of people in the Bay Area who have received one-time emergency rental assistance that I working on with the SF Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.

Rental assistance programs like Season of Sharing Fund are there for people when a month or two of rent can make the difference between staying in their home or becoming unhoused. Ultimately, rental assistance programs help prevent homelessness.

If you or someone you know has experienced an unforeseen crisis and could benefit from one-time financial assistance from the Season of Sharing Fund, learn how to apply.

If you want to hear stories from people who benefited from this safety net, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thanks for listening!

Season of Sharing Fund gave some peace of mind — and dignity — to widower Michael Sharpe as he coped with the death of his wife. A couple of years after his wife Kimberly died, Michael Sharpe still keeps her clothes in the drawers and closets of his small Novato apartment.

When Kimberly was first got diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2020, she was still able to manage her small business. Her cancer went into remission, but over the next year, the business suffered, losing a significant client. By the time Kimberly died, in October 2022, Sharpe was behind on rent.

That's where social service agency Community Action Marin and the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund came in.

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SHARING STORIES is a new a series of portraits of people in the Bay Area who have received one-time emergency rental assistance that I working on with the SF Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.

Rental assistance programs like Season of Sharing Fund are there for people when a month or two of rent can make the difference between staying in their home or becoming unhoused. Ultimately, rental assistance programs help prevent homelessness.

If you or someone you know has experienced an unforeseen crisis and could benefit from one-time financial assistance from the Season of Sharing Fund, learn how to apply.

If you want to hear stories from people who benefited from this safety net, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thanks for listening. And have a safe and happy holiday.

Season of Sharing Fund gave some peace of mind to Jose Guevara while he focused on his daughter's health. Jose is the proud papa of five, including Patti, 14, Richard, 13, and Emiliee, 5. Patti Guevara's pain started two years ago — in her back and her knees. Doctors brushed off her father's concerns, blamed her symptoms on her weight and sent her home with aspirin. Guevara took her to "basically every hospital" in the area. Finally, in July 2022, physicians at Stanford Children's Health found a 4-inch tumor on Patti's spine — and rushed her into surgery. She had Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer that strikes children and young adults.

Jose had to quit his job to care for Patti and his younger kids. Assistance from the Season of Sharing Fund helped Guevara cover rent as he transitioned from working full time to being Patti's full-time caregiver, which he is paid for through California's In-Home Supportive Services Program.

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SHARING STORIES is a new a series of portraits of people in the Bay Area who have received one-time emergency rental assistance that I working on with the SF Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.

Rental assistance programs like Season of Sharing Fund are there for people when a month or two of rent can make the difference between staying in their home or becoming unhoused. Ultimately, rental assistance programs help prevent homelessness.

If you or someone you know has experienced an unforeseen crisis and could benefit from one-time financial assistance from the Season of Sharing Fund, learn how to apply.

If you want to hear stories from people who benefited from this safety net, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thanks for listening. And have a safe and happy holiday.

Did you know it costs upwards of $50,000 to help one person find stable housing after they lose their home? Meanwhile, it takes just a couple thousand to help someone deal with an unexpected financial emergency and stay in their home. That is where the Season of Sharing Fund comes in.

Started in 1986, Season of Sharing Fund is a unique, compassionate homelessness prevention model that's powered by donations from Bay Area neighbors helping neighbors. On this episode, we'll look at how the Fund works. We'll introduce you to Season of Sharing Fund's Executive Director Kevin Swanson, as well as Laurel Hill, a longtime partner from Community Action Marin and Susan Malloy, a client who became a Season of Sharing Fund donor.

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SHARING STORIES is a new a series of portraits of people in the Bay Area who have received one-time emergency rental assistance that I working on with the SF Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.

Rental assistance programs like Season of Sharing Fund are there for people when a month or two of rent can make the difference between staying in their home or becoming unhoused. Ultimately, rental assistance programs help prevent homelessness.

If you or someone you know has experienced an unforeseen crisis and could benefit from one-time financial assistance from the Season of Sharing Fund, learn how to apply.

If you want to hear stories from people who benefited from this safety net, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thanks for listening. And have a safe and happy holiday.

Season of Sharing Fund gave some peace of mind to retired nonprofit leader Marlus Stewart. Asking for help wasn't supposed to be part of Stewart's story. She was the helper. But in 2019, the unimaginable happened. Stewart's son, her only child, died of suicide at age 50. The grief was unbearable and struggling with health issues, she "lost everything." She had been living in her car off and on for about six months when she connected with Season of Sharing through Catholic Charities. Season of Sharing Fund helped paid her deposit after she won a housing lottery in Sonoma. Now, she and her dog Mercedes Marie have a place to call home.

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SHARING STORIES is a new a series of portraits of people in the Bay Area who have received one-time emergency rental assistance that I working on with the SF Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.

Rental assistance programs like Season of Sharing Fund are there for people when a month or two of rent can make the difference between staying in their home or becoming unhoused. Ultimately, rental assistance programs help prevent homelessness.

If you or someone you know has experienced an unforeseen crisis and could benefit from one-time financial assistance from the Season of Sharing Fund, learn how to apply.

If you want to hear stories from people who benefited from this safety net, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thanks for listening. And have a safe and happy holiday.