Auna has been working at SHARE! for almost 8 years and she credits this work and her accomplishments as a major part of her recovery. Auna was conserved and struggled in getting her rights back and functioning as an independent adult. Auna was conserved against her will for two years. Auna credits the SHARE! housing program with giving her the skills on how to live independently and learning every single day how to run a household. She learned many skills from cooking and cleaning to living with roommates. She made friends in the SHARE! program and learned independent living skills and this was in her words “way better than living on the street.”
Auna currently helps people who are homeless and on SSI get into SHARE! Collaborative Housing.
After Auna got SHARE! housing she went on to do an internship at SHARE! and went to Venice Skills Centre to learn the basics of administrative assistant work. After finishing vocational school and while completing her internship at SHARE! one of the founders of SHARE! Ruth Holman said to Auna “We are looking for outreach workers we want to hire you.” Auna was very excited at the possibility of working and started work soon after. Every year she advanced in the organization and her pay and responsibilities increased.
Within two years of her starting work and through her good money management skills and with the help of some family members she became the owner of a townhouse in Culver City.
Auna believes that anyone can make it but she is also keenly aware of some of the challenges people face. We must and can do more.