#WeAreWeingart - Meet Michelle Dobos
Michelle Dobos became homeless in 2014, and through perseverance and a fierce dedication to herself and her family, she overcame the cycle of homelessness and is now enjoying her new life in Los Angeles.
After 15 years of marriage littered with episodes of domestic violence, Michelle--a decade long stay-at-home mom--was separated from her three sons (ten-year-old twins and a five-year-old) due to circumstances of losing her apartment, health coverage, and other vital life structures.
With only two-hour sessions of supervised visits with her children on weekends, Michelle was feeling the overwhelming weight of her situation until she met a supportive family, which provided her with two months of shelter as she worked to establish permanent shelter connections in Los Angeles.
In August 2017, Michelle connected with Weingart Center and was immediately enrolled in a variety of programs, including DPSS, Open Door, and LAHSA, which allowed her to reside at the Weingart Center until permanent housing could be secured.
Michelle states, “During my stay at the Weingart Center, I stayed focused and truly learned some life-long lessons. I got in no trouble or fights during my stay; I basically kept to myself for the first year and a half.” And when she speaks of her therapy sessions at Weingart, she states, “I was able to cope with all I went through. Weekly therapy sessions, medications, and regular daily communications my children helped me the most. I am also thankful for my caseworkers at the Weingart.”
In part to the dedicated workers at Weingart Center along with other support services throughout Los Angeles, Michelle officially moved into her new apartment on 1 March 2020. “I’m so happy and thankful,” she states. “Of course, the entire process had a few ups and downs, but in the end, I learned a bunch of new things, and I will be sharing my experiences at Weingart with other homeless people I meet.”
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