“I had lost my husband about two months before I heard about the program. I was trying to figure out how to get through the mourning process and my loneliness. I had a spare room – which was his bedroom . . .  I knew that having a college student to homeshare with would help relieve some of the loneliness. I was used to living with somebody. I knew a young person would add some energy and sunshine and that is exactly what Melanie has brought to me.  She’s a ray of sunshine.  That’s how I describe Melanie.”

“Melanie gave me the biggest compliment the other day when she said I’m the funnest roommate she’s ever had. My favorite part of HomeShare OC is just having somebody in the house. Somebody I can talk to . . . It’s just nice to have a person in the house. And we are really alike.” (They both smile and laugh) “That’s just the oddest thing too because I’m a little bit older than her. “ (More laughter)

Kathleen heard about the HomeShare OC program from the Kiwanis Club she’s involved in.  Melanie heard about the program through one of her classes at Cal State Fullerton.  They both contacted HIS-OC and expressed interest in the program.  We interviewed them and determined they would be an excellent match. We worked with them to develop a “living together agreement” and guided them through the process of participating in HomeShare OC.