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Once in financial crisis, one family regains stability through the Pathway of Hope.
When James and Ellen Murphy reviewed their bills in fall 2025, they realized their income no longer covered their expenses.
Between rent, utilities and everyday costs, they soon recognized that without intervention, they risked losing their home. With the holidays approaching, the stakes felt even higher—especially as the full-time caregivers to their 7-year-old grandson, Andrew.
“All of a sudden, reality hit that we were going to be in trouble,” James Murphy said. “How do we make the holidays seem bright and merry when we might be living in our car?”
He said the financial strain didn’t happen overnight.
After stepping in to raise their grandson and keep him out of foster care, the Murphys faced another obstacle when Ellen Murphy became ill and could no longer work, reducing the family’s income dramatically.
“One month we were doing OK, and the next, we couldn’t keep up,” James Murphy said.
For weeks, the couple stretched what they had until food ran low, prompting them to seek support. As a veteran, James Murphy reached out to the VA and was connected to The Salvation Army El Cajon (California) Corps.
He said he didn’t know much about The Salvation Army when their family first arrived, but they felt the need to try anything to stay fed and safe.
During their first visit to the El Cajon Corps for food, they opened up about their situation, and staff introduced them to The Salvation Army Pathway of Hope program, informing them that they qualified for assistance.
After an interview that same day, James Murphy was accepted into the program, where they began addressing immediate needs like gas and grocery vouchers while working toward financial stability through budgeting and resource assistance.
“It took some stress off our shoulders right away,” Ellen Murphy said. “We had a team that was listening and wanting to help us.”
As Thanksgiving approached, the Murphys were still unsure what the season would look like for their grandson, who has multiple disabilities, including autism, and worried he might not fully understand why things felt different.
That concern didn’t last long, as the family was invited to the corps to pick up Thanksgiving meal kits.
“They gave us more food than we could eat—we still have turkey in the freezer,” James Murphy said.
“This program came right when we needed it and changed our lives.”
James Murphy
Then, just weeks before Christmas, the family was accepted into the Adopt-A-Family program, where they were overwhelmed by the number of gifts they received for their grandson.
“We almost didn’t have room to fit everything they blessed us with,” James Murphy said. “And when Christmas morning came, Andrew was just in awe and couldn’t stop telling us how ‘cool’ Santa is.”
Behind that support and care was Pathway of Hope Case Manager Lisa DeCrescente, who informed them about available resources, led weekly meetings to track their progress and introduced tools to help build stability.
“They became like family,” DeCrescente said. “They knew they could come here, be honest about what was going on and be supported.”
A key step forward came when the Murphys created a budget alongside DeCrescente.
“It was really beneficial for them to see everything laid out in one place,” DeCrescente said. “They didn’t fully realize where their money was going, and this helped them take control of it.”
DeCrescente also helped the Murphys enroll in In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), a program that provides financial support to caregivers of individuals with disabilities—something the Murphys didn’t know was available.
An increase in income was unexpected for the retired couple. Their enrollment in IHSS provided a significant amount of back pay, allowing them to pay off their debt and move toward becoming debt-free.
“Everything started to fall into place,” James Murphy said. “We were seeing more income than we were used to, which allowed us to pay everything off and still put some into savings.”
As their financial situation improved, James Murphy said he began to feel a sense of relief. With fewer concerns about bills and basic needs, the Murphys were able to focus more on their grandson.
“Instead of worrying about how we would get by, we could finally ask, ‘How can we make today fun for Andrew?’”
He said they also saw Andrew become calmer and more settled, as his therapies and medications got back on track.
The family graduated from the Pathway of Hope program on April 16, marking a new chapter of stability and independence. They will continue to check in with DeCrescente quarterly to ensure they remain on track.
“This program came right when we needed it and changed our lives,” said James Murphy.
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