Jul 01, 2021
Editor’s note: Lisa Elzy Watson would like to dedicate this article to Constance, the mother who gave her life, and Carolyne, the mother who taught her how to live life.
Lisa Elzy Watson’s life experiences have centered around service to others. Telling her story without mentioning women and children, teaching and leading, faith and hope is impossible. More accustomed to advocating for causes than including herself in the story, Lisa was eager to share her involvement as a board member with local non-profit Casa Esperanza.
“There are people out there who simply need a hand. This is not about throwing money at you and hoping. This is about putting tools in place so a woman who is down on her circumstances can be a productive member of society,” said Lisa. “I know it can happen in Bakersfield.”
The idea for Casa Esperanza began in 2014. A dedicated group of Kern County women came together and modeled the concept after the Alexandria House in Los Angeles, which serves women in similar situations.
The name, “Hope House,” refers to the concept of it being a transitional setting that leads to a better life path.
“These services are for women who find themselves in difficult situations. They may or may not have children,” said Lisa. “The goal is to instill confidence, courage, and strength so a woman who is currently homeless can come to be gainfully employed and living in permanent housing.”
Families with children are the fastest-growing segment of the population experiencing homelessness, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Kern County also ranked ninth in homelessness out of California’s 58 counties before 2020, as listed by Kern County Superintendent of Schools data.
An estimated 97% of homeless students move up to three times in a single school year and 40% attend at least two different schools. Learning loss from disruption, including the issue of non-transferable high school credits, also contributes to generational poverty, as students living with instability are more likely to fall behind their peers or even drop out of school.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, seven out of 10 families were one paycheck away from homelessess, as reported by the American Aid Foundation, with new figures pending. Single women who are head of household and the family’s only wage-earners find themselves without feasible housing options at a higher rate than married couples.
While she credits faith as having a key role in her personal life, Lisa described Casa Esperanza as faithful but not tied to any particular religious affiliation despite partnerships with local churches and religious leaders.
“We believe in helping people who want to help themselves,” she said. “Coupling rights with responsibilities helps women to get their feet under themselves. If you are willing to make lasting change, Casa Esperanza can help you find gainful employment, get your children into school, get your oneness with yourself, and move on.”
Situated at the corner of Panorama Street and Haley Drive, the house has seven bedrooms, which allows for six women to stay, with or without children, and a resident manager. The property, which was formerly used as a foster home, is currently being renovated.
Dave Packard Custom Homes is helping with many of the necessary repairs: replacing flooring, cabinets, and the HVAC system, adding fencing to the property, and making the yard a great space for children are all part of what has to happen before the program launches.
Before, Above; Artist's rendition of completed remodel, Below
A soft opening with two or three participants is likely to take place in the first quarter of 2022.
“It’s the perfect home for what we’re doing and those renovations will restore it to its original glory,” said Lisa. “The house is directly across from Bakersfield College, which is ideal because our participants can enroll in certificate programs, which allows them to get the training they need to get a job and also produce enough income to not only move into a permanent home but sustain it by making more than minimum wage, which we know is not a livable wage.”
Women considered for residency must be referred by designated agencies and meet a series of predetermined conditions, including interviews and review of their personal history on a case-by-case basis. They cannot be in a state of active addiction or working through substance abuse rehabilitation, nor fleeing from domestic violence within the past 12 months, conditions intended to contribute to the home’s safety and stability, particularly given that many of its future occupants will be children.
Working, going to school, or both, is required of the women, who can stay for up to 24 months. Other conditions, such as attending money management classes, helping prepare meals, and keeping the property clean, must also be met. Each mother must also care for her own children, who are housed in her room. A percentage of wages earned while living at Casa Esperanza also goes to maintaining the home; part of those earnings are also essentially held in trust so the women can access their funds at a later time as a way to save up for permanent housing and independent living.
Funding is made possible through annual fundraisers, private donors, contributors who match funds through community donations, and grants to the organization as a 501(c)3. Most recently, the Give Big Kern initiative hosted this past May raised more than $38,000.
Lisa is a firm believer in women’s ability to provide for themselves and their families with the right community support in place. An educator by training, she has witnessed progress through an incredible variety of life roles and experiences. The founder of LightWave Education, a literacy and leadership program for students in grades one through 12, she also implemented Freedom School, a summer enrichment program focused on helping children find a love for reading. One of her first mentor teachers, Peter Fenn, helped connect Lisa with the Casa Esperanza team; he felt it would be a good fit, as his mother, Kathy Fenn, served on its board.
“When a position came up, she told me to do it,” said Lisa. “I decided I really loved what they do, the Casa Esperanza concept and how they would approach it, including a really smart way to do the finances. All the ingredients are there.”
Lisa said she is drawn to service because when she reflects on her life, she considers how much people gave to her while growing up.
“I remember community enrichment programs,” she said. “When it became my turn, I asked ‘How can I give back’?”
The concept of community has always been clear to Lisa. When her sister went through a difficult time with the end of her marriage as a newly-single mother to three small children, she recalls how others rallied around her. With that help, she graduated college, became a professional, raised her children and is now a church elder.
Lisa graduated from the University of Michigan and set her sights on creating structure for children to learn. She and a friend decided to leave their area, however, and move to California.
“It was the coldest winter at that time on record in the state of Michigan,” she said. “I think it was 1992. I remember reading in the newspaper one day, there was a contest, ‘How many hours of daylight will we have in February?’ People could send in their guesses.The number was low and I thought ‘What am I doing here?’ So my friend and I felt like kind of big fish in a small pond in Detroit. Looking at it, our friends and family said ‘If anyone can make it, it’s you two.’ We hopped in the car and decided to go for it.”
Lisa stayed in the area and flourished. Her friend has since relocated but continues to be a successful professional, too. Motherhood has been a key part of Lisa’s life as well; her daughter is now a third year student at Harvard Law, where she is president of the Black Student Activities Association.
“I stay busy,” Lisa said with a laugh. She continues to also be involved with Laborers of the Harvest and the Shar-On Corporation in Taft, which distributes food to people in need who do not have access through traditional distribution channels.
“I feel like it's my obligation and my honor to live a life of service,” she explained. “My faith really is what keeps me going. I am just grateful.”
Lisa said she owes that sense of how to love God and how to love others to her mother and offers this advice to other moms: “You don’t have to put your dreams aside because you had children. You might have to approach them differently, but live your dreams, so your children can understand how to live theirs.”
She also recommends what she calls “true self-care” by taking time out each day for an internal pause.
“You have to give yourself a few minutes, wherever you find it during your day. A moment of joy to reconnect to your yes, to all you have said ‘yes’ to in your life. You said ‘yes’ to motherhood. You said ‘yes’ to commitments. We can lose ourselves in all of the activity but find joy in those moments. Remember why you said ‘yes,’” she offered. “Also, make quiet time happen with a child to ground them and let them know they are safe.”
Lisa has dedicated her life to helping children feel safe, secure, and cared for at home, in the classroom, and in the community. She plans to continue as a Casa Esperanza board member and looks forward to seeing women and their children find success, security, and happiness.
Find more information about Casa Esperanza at https://www.esperanzabakersfield.org/.
