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Albert Terrazas was living on the streets for 6-8 weeks before coming to the Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program (I-HELP).  Albert heard about I-HELP from a newspaper article he read while sitting in the Tempe Public Library.  Albert ended up on the streets after being laid off from his full time job.  He has been umpiring over the years for supplemental income.  Albert was financially stable enough to make it until the umpiring job stopped last fall and he needed new uniforms. A local church came to his aide and bought him some new uniforms, and he was able to start umpiring again in the  December/January season. 

When asked what I-HELP meant to him Albert stated, "the encouragement I received from Sam and Lindsay from Tempe Community Action Agency made a huge impact on my life, especially the words of Lindsay. The program mentally and emotionally really picked me up because being homeless was quite a shock to me.  Sam and Lindsay really encouraged me and instilled confidence in me.  The program is important because it gave me a lot of help by giving me a place to eat and sleep." 

Albert is now trying to encourage others to work with TCAA and I-HELP.  He tells them that if he can come through homelessness so can they.  He started his job as the Umpire in Chief for the National Softball Association (NSA) in Southern California on February 18, 2010.  Albert has an apartment here in Arizona and rents a room while he is in California.