Family moves out of RV thanks to Season of Sharing Program

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - Andrea Johnson admits she was a little cynical. At 43, with 13-year-old special needs son and 8-year-old daughter, the single mom was evicted after her Sunnyvale apartment building was sold.

With no affordable housing to be had, this certified medical assistant went mobile. She loaded the kids in her RV and spent the next nine months juggling three lives inside a 23 foot rolling home- that had to be moved every 2-3 days to avoid attention.

"It was hell. Everyday sometimes you didn't know if you were going to get a good night's sleep. If someone come knocking on the door, if neighbors complain, police were going to show up," Johnson said.

A chance knock on that door opened a big door- Sunnyvale Community Service offered her help through their rental assistance program. So that RV got parked for good and the Johnsons landed in a warm 2 bedroom San Jose apartment. 

"We were so excited. We slept on the floor. We didn't care, before we even brought in a blow-up mattress, before we brought in furniture. We just came in here and crashed".

That furniture arrived a month later all thanks to the Chronicle's Season of Sharing Program. Her kids are now snuggled up in bunk beds.

Christmas suddenly has new meaning for the Johnsons. It has restored their faith and given them hope.