Salem recently welcomed two new residents, and I’m excited to share with you the story of how God provided for them.  

Brian and Teresa got married more than 30 years ago when they were 21. Since 1992, they have been living in a small bedroom in a home in San Bernardino, about 30 miles east of where we are in Chino. Pre-Covid, they were used to going bowling, to church and even on cruises. However, with all the changes brought about during the pandemic, those options became closed to them. They’ve even been without a day program for many years.  

Earlier this summer, the woman who owned the home they were living in passed away. She was 101 years old and the licensed administrator for the home. It was the only place Brian and Teresa had lived as adults. There were no other folks living in the home, which was a pretty quiet place. Brian and Teresa have no living family. The state-affiliated agency responsible for them, Inland Regional Center, called Salem looking for an “emergency placement”. The requirement that Brian and Teresa share a room made it challenging. However, through the unexpected passing of a Salem resident, we had a beautiful, large bedroom with an en-suite bathroom available.  

Brian and Teresa moved into their Salem home very quickly. It was obvious to us that they had several immediate needs. Most notably, they had almost no personal belongings. Despite living together for more than 30 years, everything they owned was in a small bag. Virtually no changes of clothes or shoes, no pictures or furniture or memorabilia. No favorite bedspreads or blankets. When a person with disabilities has no family, they must rely on the state’s allocation of $35/month for personal items. This doesn’t go very far.
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Our compassionate Salem staff brought clothes from their own homes to meet their immediate needs. We also contacted our good friends at 3 Way Thrift for help. Wow! did Brian and Teresa have an amazing shopping spree! They left 3 Way Thrift with great outfit options. We don’t know their entire history, but it’s possible this was their first shopping trip in a very long time. Brian and Teresa also happened to join Salem very close to the time we do our annual summer camp week. This is a week that the residents enjoy terrific outings to Disney, Sea World, the Aquarium of the Pacific, Newport Beach and other places. We also have a dinner and dance finale at Crosspoint Church in Chino with all 100 of our residents and dozens of our staff.  Brian and Teresa were wide-eyed with wonder. New friends, new experiences, a large, beautiful home to live in.

Every family has their own story about the unique timing of coming to live at a Salem home. For Brian and Teresa, God worked out the timing for us to be able to welcome them. Through 3 Way Thrift, God worked out provision for their clothing and other needs. God even worked it out where Brian and Teresa got to experience a summer of new activities and friends after being unable to venture out for several years. Brian and Teresa are a blessing to us as well. Our first married couple, bringing a wonderful, bright new dynamic to the home. Our staff have new people to get to know and make a significant difference in their lives.