My Introduction to Hamilton Families: How Family Reunification Transforms Lives
Family assisted by HF’s Ruthie Van Esso being celebrated at the family reunification event, June 24, 2025 / Photo: Ryan Yim
On my second day as a Communications and Development intern, Hamilton Families sent me to the Civic Center Courthouse to assist with a family reunification event. And I must admit: I was intimidated.
I was taught the facts of family homelessness in San Francisco. I was informed, for example, that the vast majority of family homelessness in the city involves households led by single mothers. I learned that children experiencing homelessness are five times more likely to be unhoused as adults. I learned that family homelessness is often “invisible,” in the sense that families experiencing homelessness are less likely to be found visibly on the streets, but are more likely to be couch-surfing, sleeping in cars in parking lots, or living out of motels. Even with all this information, though, I could only define family homelessness; I didn’t know what it truly meant for a family to be living through homelessness. And, more importantly, I didn’t know what it meant for a family to survive it, to have their lives so radically changed through access to the proper resources.
Little did I know that this event was the best introduction I could’ve gotten to the world of non-profit family homelessness work.
The family reunification event was a celebration for eight families who had successfully reunited with their children through San Francisco’s juvenile dependency court. Seven of them had completed the Family Treatment Court and still maintain sobriety, enabling them to close their CPS case. My point of contact for the event was Ruthie, Admin & Ops Coordinator for Hamilton Families, who approached me with an excitement that I had rarely seen before. She enthusiastically explained to me the details of the reunification process and her own experience helping families stay together. She took me around, introducing me to all of the community partners who had helped the families throughout their reunification journeys. Each person I shook hands with radiated genuine love for the families they supported and expressed nothing but the utmost respect for the parents who persevered for the sake of their kids.
As families slowly began trickling in, I noticed how each group was embraced with a wave of hugs and congratulations, not only from their providers but from other families as well. The parents smiled as they proudly took their seats, shaking hands and thanking those who had in some way been a part of their story. I couldn’t help but smile at the toddlers and babies clutching their parents, not only because of how adorable they were, but because the image of the families together was just, right. It was whole. It was the way it was supposed to be.
I felt this even more powerfully as the family providers gave speeches dedicated to their participants’ perseverance and resilience. Every family’s story was profoundly unique, but they all ultimately accentuated the power of collaboration and the necessity of overcoming stigma. Each parent exemplified such strength and grace in the way they carried themselves, despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles placed before them and bitter skepticism thrown at them by those apathetic to their situations. Whether it was a parent reentering society after incarceration or a mother and father in recovery from substance use, the stories shared at that event exemplified individuals who understood the stakes at hand and bravely acted upon them. Moreover, they highlighted those who answered the call for help and dedicated themselves to ensuring the sustained success of those who needed them. In this way, the event was not some sort of finish line, meant as a final round of applause for those who had endured so much. It was the welcoming of new, beautiful beginnings.
This is the work of family homelessness services. It’s mobilizing collective action such that families can start anew. It’s providing hope for those who have been shunned and neglected. It’s breaking generational cycles of violence, poverty, and abuse. It’s empowering parents to care for their children and enabling children to pursue their dreams. And I know these things to be the work of family homelessness organizations because I have witnessed those who saw these missions through. Indeed, by the end of the celebration, it was clear to me that I was standing amidst a community of real-life heroes: heroes who saved lives not through superhuman powers, but through superhuman will.
Ryan Yim is a Communications & Development Intern at Hamilton Families, a nonprofit service provider to families experiencing homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area. To help end family homelessness, visit hamiltonfamilies.org today.