Every Christmas, Olivia’s father tried to make Christmas special for his seven children. Olivia always loved the presents she got—but what she really wanted was a home she would never have to leave.

When Olivia smiles, you’d never know the difficulties this 15-year-old has faced in her young life, including hunger, homelessness, and growing up without a mother.

“It was always hard for my dad to find a job,” she says. “So we had to move around a lot. It wasn’t easy for my dad. There were seven of us kids, and he did everything he could to make sure we had food to eat—but sometimes we went hungry.”

Despite the hardships, however, Olivia was determined to stay focused. “I don’t think I ever paid much attention to it,” she says. “I just wanted to focus on school.”

Olivia’s father, Joel, struggled to find adequate housing he could afford for seven children. Over the years, Olivia and her family lived with various family members, but eventually they were turned away because there were too many kids. After that, Olivia and her family lived in a public storage unit, occasionally a hotel room, and even their small car. In 2018, however, Joel ran out of options and brought his kids to Union Rescue Mission.

Joel worked hard to build a new foundation for his family, and he was a true asset in the Downtown Los Angeles facilities while they were here.

Olivia says, “I went to the Worthy of Love Birthday Celebration event on the roof where we danced and got to see amazing animals—dogs, horses, llamas, rabbits, snakes, parrots—and I even traveled on a jet for the first time in my life, when we got to go to a Los Angeles Clippers game in Sacramento!”

Olivia remembers that her first Christmas at URM was especially fun—with so many festive events and even presents to open. Yet she wished for one thing more: “I wanted all of us to live together in a new home that we would never have to leave.”

“I love our new home,” Olivia says. “We have so much space, and I can’t wait to spend Christmas here!”