Our Story
A Journey of Healing and Hope
Sandra’s remarkable journey began in a small village in Michoacan, Mexico, surrounded by valleys, mountains, and rivers. Raised by her loving grandparents, Elfega and Elias, she developed deep-rooted family values and a compassionate heart. From an early age, she felt a strong calling to aid the elderly and those living in poverty. Following the loss of her grandmother, she immigrated to the United States in 1978, settling in Hawthorne, California.
Later in life, while raising her children as a single mother, Sandra pursued a career in Construction Technology and Architecture. However, her studies were halted when she was confronted with the devastating impact of drug addiction and peer pressure within her own family. Desperately searching for resources, she faced a broken system: rehabilitation programs were either unaffordable for low-income families, had excessively long waiting lists, or lacked onsite educational support.
Driven by a mother’s relentless love, Sandra dedicated herself to understanding the root causes of addiction and recurrent relapse. She discovered that addiction is heavily influenced by environment, lack of family support, and homelessness. More importantly, she realized that true recovery requires a long-term process to heal the physical body, mind, soul, and spirit.
This profound realization led to the birth of the Care of the Soul Foundation in 2013. Using her own financial resources, Sandra opened her doors to homeless individuals, families, ex-convicts, and those in recovery. Despite facing severe personal hardships—including the loss of the foundation's leased properties and navigating difficult personal circumstances—her resilience never wavered.
She successfully revived her mission, renaming it the David Shield and Care of the Soul Foundation. Today, her vision continues, offering a sanctuary of healing and holistic rehabilitation to families and individuals in need.
