Honoring Deacon Kevin McCardle: A Life of Service for the “Dear Neighbor”
By Frejya Lindh
Deacon Kevin McCardle’s decades of service to St. Joseph Center demonstrate the power of meeting every person with dignity, compassion, and care.
Author: Frejya Lindh
Claire Stone Builds Community Through Service
By Frejya Lindh
Claire Stone volunteers at Bread & Roses Café and is helping inspire a new generation of community advocates through service, leadership, and local impact.
Emi Carvell’s Story: Rooted in Nature, Growing Through Service
By Frejya Lindh
Volunteer and Master Gardener Emi Carvell shares how nature, resilience, and decades of service have shaped her commitment to community at St. Joseph Center.
Serving Food, Sharing Humanity: Meet Yvette, a Bread & Roses Volunteer
By Frejya Lindh
Meet Yvette, a dedicated Bread & Roses Café volunteer whose story highlights the power of service, compassion and community at St. Joseph Center during Volunteer Appreciation Month.
SJC Youth Malik to Become First Resident of New Youth Housing in Santa Monica
By Frejya Lindh
Malik Jackson with St. Joseph Center case manager Melodie Vatandoust. Through the Youth Resource Team (YRT) program, Melodie and her colleagues supported Malik as he worked toward stability, graduation, and a brighter future. In his own words, Malik Jackson reflects on his journey with St. Joseph Center’s Youth Resource Team (YRT) program. At age 14, … Continued
Rachel’s Journey Home: From Living in Her Car to a Home for Her Family
By Frejya Lindh
The Journey of Rachel Gordon In the world of social services, we often talk about giving people a “seat at the table.” But for Rachel Gordon, a seat at a table wasn’t just a metaphor — it was a luxury she didn’t have. I felt safe knowing that I could finally have dinner with my … Continued
Building Stability on My Own Terms: Lauren’s Story
By Frejya Lindh
Lauren Kush (left) with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Kristin Hardy, Vice President for SEIU Local 1021’s San Francisco region, at SEIU 1021’s Black History Month celebration, where Lauren joined labor and community leaders recognizing Black leadership and advocacy. For many people experiencing housing instability, success is not a simple “before and after.” Stability often … Continued
Transforming Lived Experience into Art: Renee Westbrook on Homelessness, Healing, and “Shelter”
By Frejya Lindh
Content warning: This interview references sexual assault and other potentially triggering experiences. You’re living in a house, everything is fine. Then the next night you’re out on Olympic and Bundy with a suitcase, a backpack and a purse. That’s it. Renee Westbrook performing Shelter, her one woman show. It’s something impossible for most people to … Continued
Our Founding Sisters: A Story of Courage, Faith, and Action
By Frejya Lindh
As Los Angeles has once again become a reflection of the country, on the front lines of debates over who deserves housing, what should be taught, and who gets to call L.A. home, it is worth revisiting a history that has united this city across difference. While many Angelenos remember the city’s founding fathers, fewer … Continued
Are You Like Us Now? Jocelyn Rebuilds Hope Through Community
By Frejya Lindh
“Are you like us now?” That was the question Jocelyn Cortese heard from the unhoused diners when she walked back into Bread & Roses Café last April. She had been gone for a while. In the wake of the devastating LA wildfires that swept through the Palisades, Jocelyn, a woman who has spent 19 years … Continued
