Juthaporn is a mother of six boys who built a foundation for success within supportive housing. She first came to Arnett Watson Apartments (AWA) in 2016, when she was pregnant with her now-five-year-old son, Douglas.
Getting off the streets
Juthaporn lived on the streets of San Francisco for over 15 years. During this time she gave birth to three of her six sons; Albert, Judson, and James. It wasn’t until she had help from SFPD officer Sue Lavin that she was able to get off the streets and, through assistance from a stabilization housing program, into a room at Civic Center Hotel. This was the first model of what is now called a navigation center, and would be the first step leading Juthaporn to permanent housing.
Life takes a turn
In 2015, her life trajectory was again changed by the miracle of her son Douglas. She was able to move into AWA, a building within HomeRise specifically for families. Under the roof of supportive housing, Juthaporn achieved stability in her life, maintained her sobriety, found consistent employment and went back to school. Now she is a 2020 graduate of San Francisco State University with a BA in Liberal Studies.
The future looks bright
She is excited to have made a twenty year dream come true. Through hard work and perseverance, she was able to lean on support from a variety of agencies and services throughout San Francisco. “I could not have done it on my own. It took a village to help me get to where I am today. Where that is, is the ability to stand on my own two feet without a crutch. It is the greatest feeling to do it for yourself.”
Sharing her story and inspiring others is her next big step. The importance of having a home to help those experiencing homelessness get their lives back on track is the message she hopes to share through writing and advocacy. Juthaporn firmly believes her accomplishments only became possible with a place to call home; taking one step at a time with a vision of hope, a place where dreams could be rediscovered. “I will spend the rest of my life being the best mother to my son and in hope to reunite with the sons I lost long ago…For me, the greatest success in my life will be the day I am with all of my boys at the same time, a life-long dream come true. “
“[HomeRise] has given me a foundation – not just a room and a key, but the ability for continuous dreams to come true, and that’s enough for me.”
This year, you can hear Juthaporn performing at our 30th Birthday Bash celebrating three decades of changing lives.
Read more on how Juthaporn has continued to inspire others:
San Francisco pioneers a program to reduce the fees and fines that keep people from succeeding.