SOFESA was born out of the deeply personal experience of Jessica Echeverry, whose early life was shaped by instability, fear, and a profound sense of isolation. As a young girl she suffered childhood sexual molestation, assault and rape. Her home environment was dysfunctional and unsupportive. At 14, she began running away from home. At 16 she found herself pregnant with nowhere to go. Jessica lived through some of the most challenging circumstances imaginable including the horrors of living in a drug and prostitution house while being a pregnant teenager. In order to have safe housing, she had to promise to give her baby up for adoption. After losing her firstborn baby by forced adoption, she fell into a deep depression and was back out on the streets. She fully succumbed to the lifestyle and economy of the streets and found herself engaged in illegal and very dark activity. At 18, she became pregnant again. This time, she listened to the dark voices and believed that the best thing she could do for this child was to have an abortion; so she did. She explains that before her abortion, she had the desire to live regardless of her life circumstances. But after her abortion, all she wanted to do now was die. The pain was too overwhelming. She attempted suicide at the age of 18 and again at 19. She gave up trying and fell deeper into street life. At 21, she was pregnant and severely beaten by her ”boyfriend,” she found herself in an emergency room in front of a triage nurse who would save her life. Convinced to let the nurse help her, Jess was freed from her abuser, took over the apartment and was fully supported by social services. She gave birth to her third child, which she took home in a donated car seat in a taxicab. She shares that the government was paying her rent, putting food in the fridge and providing everything she needed to bring her baby home. She used that help for its true purpose and over the next 2 years came off of welfare and became fully self sufficient.

 

Through the power of meaningful relationships and the unwavering support of those who walked alongside her, Jessica was able to rebuild her life. She broke free from the cycle of homelessness and poverty, becoming a beacon of hope for others in similar situations.

 

The initial efforts of serving the homeless began in 1999 when Jessica was called back out to the streets to “just be their friend because she knew how that feels.” After encountering a homeless mother and her 9 month old baby boy 2006, and with lots of support from friends, family and the local community, Jessica formally founded SOFESA to share with others the life-changing power of relational support that she experienced. In particular, to accompany homeless families in an effort to keep families together in their most vulnerable moments, most especially moms and their babies. Through the years, Jess has consistently shared with others that homelessness isn’t just about finding a home—it’s about healing the deep emotional, physical, and spiritual wounds that come with it. Today, SOFESA carries forward Jessica’s vision: to heal homelessness through long-term healthy relationships, holistic care, and local community engagement.