“To the people who support Many Mansions,
I want to say thank you!”
My name is Laura, and I was born in Camden, Arkansas. When I was young, my father was in the service, and our family moved to San Diego. I grew up on the east side of the city—a good neighborhood, surrounded by the most loving and supportive family.
One set of grandparents lived nearby, but my mother’s parents were still in Arkansas, so every year or so we would go back to visit them. They lived simply: with an outhouse, a well, and workhorses for hauling water, but the love there was unmatched. To me, nothing compares to the love of a big, multigenerational family.
My mother, my older sister, and I were very close. My father passed away in 1973, and my mom raised six of us on her own. She was strong, loving, and full of faith.
While in San Diego, I attended junior college. As an adult, I went through my own challenges. I separated from my children’s father when my youngest child was six. We all lived with my sister for a time and later found temporary housing with a kind friend who only asked me for $200 a month to help with utilities. She later passed away from cancer, but she was a blessing during a difficult time. In the early 2000s, I married a man I’ve known my whole life. He worked hard for Kaiser for many years until a serious work injury changed everything. As his health declined and my own back gave out, I had to take more time off work to care for him and to recover myself. It eventually depleted our savings and retirement funds. There were days I sat and cried, but I never lost hope.
When things were at their lowest, I received a call from Many Mansions. Suddenly, the door opened. Today, my husband and I live in a first-floor disability-access apartment at Shadow Hills, and we are deeply grateful for the roof over our heads and the stability we’ve found.
To me, Shadow Hills isn’t just an apartment complex; it’s a community. On our floor, everyone knows each other. We check in on one another, bring food during the holidays, and make sure no one is lonely. That kind of care makes life richer. The little ones call me “Shadow Hills Grandma,” and hearing “Here comes Grandma!” always brings me joy.
I’ve always been a caretaker. Aside from my own two children, I helped raise about twenty other kids who still call me “Momma.” I have seven wonderful grandchildren, but none live close by. Fortunately, I have plenty to occupy my time. I enjoy helping the kids in the After School – Youth Program. I volunteer in our community food pantry because I used to run one at my church, and helping others gives me purpose. What I love most about my community is the family atmosphere. And I can’t say enough about our maintenance crew; they take such good care of us!
As for the future, I pray for my husband’s health to improve. Beyond that, I am simply grateful. Grateful for our home, grateful for the support, and grateful for the sense of community that surrounds us.
To the people who support Many Mansions, I want to say thank you. I want donors to fully know the impact they have on our lives. I live it every day.
