Live Week: Erma’s Story
Welcome back to the blog!
This “Live” week, we’d like you to meet Erma Duvall.. a Bellflower neighbor, Section 8 resident, twin sister, and granddaughter who grew up caring for her grandpa until he passed and.. until last month.. someone feeling the weight of being a few days away from losing everything via eviction.
Erma first heard about KCB ten years ago from her old apartment manager at Bellflower Terrace. “He told me if I ever fell behind on rent, KCB could help.” At the time, she didn’t need the help.. She’s always been careful, always paid on time. But as we see with a lot of these stories, life has a certain way of sneaking up on us. She ended up helping a friend in need and fell behind a little herself. Then her rent went up and she didn’t catch it.. so she kept paying the old amount for months. The next thing she knew, an eviction notice showed up on her door.. The landlord was moving forward, seemingly not interested in even asking her about it. And the fear that hit her hardest was the thought of losing her Section 8 voucher. “Without it,” she told Valerie, “I couldn’t afford to live anywhere. Everything is so expensive, and my only income is Social Security.”
That’s when KCB came into the picture..
Erma walked into the Community Center carrying that notice and a whole lot of panic. “I was terrified of losing my voucher and my home.” But Valerie didn’t just take the paperwork and disappear.. she walked her through every single step. Called her with updates. Even hand-delivered the check. “She kept me informed every step of the way,” Erma said. “That level of support made a huge difference and left me feeling deeply grateful.”
One phone call in particular stood out for Erma.. when Valerie said the check was on the way.. Erma just sat there and cried. She felt relief so deep it’s really hard to put into words. But it saved her peace. “It gave me stability and freedom from struggle,” she said. “Having a place to live means everything.” Now she’s caught up, breathing easier, and focusing on her mental health for the first time in a long time.
To the donors and partners who keep rental assistance possible.. Erma wants you to know:
“Thank you. I truly appreciate your help and am deeply grateful for your support. May God continue to bless you.” And when she was asked about staff who made an impact.. she couldn’t say enough about Valerie, our Housing Case Manager.. “She wasn’t just helpful.. she was kind, patient, and someone I could talk to about anything. Her support gave me hope when I needed it most.”
Live Week is all about this.. helping to give someone their life back. One phone call, one delivered check, one “you’re not losing your home” at a time.
Erma’s been through losing her grandpa, raising herself up, building a quiet life with Section 8.. and now.. she’s still home. Still safe.
So let’s keep Erma in our prayers.. for continued peace, for health, for that quiet joy to keep growing. We see you. We thank God for you. And we’re believing with you for every good thing still to come.
Thanks for reading..
Until next time..