SEADC has had a long relationship with Mr. Sim as he first came to us years ago homeless. He was kicked out of his family’s home and disowned by his children shortly after his wife passed away. He was able to work as a food delivery driver but was still in a shelter. Mr. Sim got remarried and brought his new wife and her children to the US from Cambodia. However, the family of four was struggling to survive off his small income as his wife was unable to get a work permit in time.

For the next year, they lived in a shelter until he was able to rent a small one-bedroom apartment in the city of Richmond however the neighborhood was unsafe. After experiencing an armed robbery, he moved his family back to the city where he rented a studio apartment. He asked for our assistance to process immigration documents after being scammed by head lawyer who refused to refund his money even though they did not work on his case. After coming to us, we were successful in obtaining a green card for his entire family.

During COVID-19, we supported his family with food every two weeks and hygienic products such as masks and hand sanitizers. Mrs. Sim and his stepchildren also volunteered during this time to do vaccination information outreach and food distribution. We encouraged his wife to attend City College for ESL classes, and she was able to improve her English skills significantly. Soon after, she was able to find a job in a restaurant. As their family were still in the studio apartment, we assisted Mr. Sim in applying for the subsidized housing lottery. Around 5 months ago, he won the lottery for a 3-bedroom 2-bathroom apartment.

Today, the children can have their own room for the first time in their lives and are also participating in the center’s youth programs. We continue to help his wife with the citizenship application and have encouraged her to attend our classes and workshops to practice for the interview.