The comfort and safety that LaToya Johnson’s car provided were more than enough to escape the unstable life she had back home with her ex-husband.

“It was cold and sometimes it was peaceful,” Johnson said. “I chose to sleep in my car and cry out to God and pray.”

Johnson was destitute without a job, home or a place to live, having to sleep in her car for about two months prior to coming to The Salvation Army Transitional Living Center in San Bernardino.

Johnson had lost a custody battle over seven months ago to her husband who was awarded temporary custody of their three daughters ages 5, 8 and 9.

Distraught over the lengthy custody battle and left financially drained, all she wanted was a place to lay her head and get herself together again.

Family friends took her to a shelter where she met a woman that told her about The Salvation Army Transitional Living Center.

“She had actually made the call for me and by God’s grace that door was open and they had a space available for me,” she said.

She was scared and anxious. She felt like an open bottle. She couldn’t talk. She was afraid of having to be around other people experiencing similar experiences, and she couldn’t see at the time how this center was going to help her spiritually and mentally.

“I didn’t understand all of that when I first walked through the doors, it was just like a one minute of a time experience for me,” she said.

Fast forward six months later into the program, she said she has been overwhelmed with blessings from The Salvation Army. Slowly but surely through the training, teachings and classes, she was able to work on herself to become stronger and learn how to communicate with the other women in the center.

Although she was becoming empowered through the program, she did experience some tough times, especially during the holidays because she didn’t have her children with her. However, she said she appreciated the warmth, comfort and good food and gifts the organization provided her.

During her time in the center, Johnson has seen families come and go from the shelter, and walk and leave strengthened and empowered from the assistance of The Salvation Army. Inspired by others who have graduated from the Transitional Living Center program, she hopes to also give back to people in crisis.

“I look forward to being able to share to others who may have been going through similar situations or trials that I’ve gone through, and be able to say that there is help out there,” she said. “This is an organization that when you feel hopeless it’ll give you hope. When you feel like there is no other way to go and all doors all closed, there is a door that is open and The Salvation Army opened that door to me.”

She said that she had walked out of Transitional Living Center’s door a couple times because she was scared of the unknown. However, she thanks The Salvation Army for always keeping its doors open for her when she wanted to come back.

Before she became a resident of the Transitional Living Center, she remembers taking a holiday shopping trip with her children to Wal-Mart. She remembers giving coins to her kids for the bell ringers for charity, but not truly understanding what The Salvation Army did for people in need.

“Never would I have thought that I would actually come to find out and understand what The Salvation Army was all about,” she said. “Never will I walk by a bell ringer again, without giving them much appreciation and now my children too understand what they are doing around the holidays when you hear the bells ringing.”

Johnson benefits from the Transitional Living Center in San Bernardino that offers shelter and programs for homeless families and people facing eviction.

The shelter teaches its residents to save 75 percent of their income, which allows them to stay in the shelter for 90 days. Their money is converted into a money order and held in a Salvation Army safe to help them get back on their feet, and move into independent housing upon completion of the program. Living centers like this provide people with the skills necessary for them to live independently and transition into permanent homes and apartments.

Johnson, a graduate of the Transitional Living Center program, wants to work toward having full custody of her kids and get back to her career. She is currently a promoter for a fitness and health company.