When you ask people why they chose to live here, most often they reply that it is the “quaintness” and the “small town” atmosphere that drew them here. If you dig deeper, what you will find is that the qualities we all love about living here are fostered and nurtured by some of the most amazing people, all who are our neighbors, if not in the exact sense of the word, in spirit.
I hope to introduce you to some of our amazing neighbors you should know if you don’t already. They are the souls who give of themselves so that our community and the lives of those around them are better for it. They are truly, Unsung Heroes.
Theresa Murphy is one of those special people you are lucky to meet once or twice in life. Her unassuming and peaceful manner belies the awe of the over 27 years of service she has given to our community through her work at Precious Life Shelter in Los Alamitos and that is only part of what makes her such a special neighbor.
Raised in Ojai, California, Theresa came to Southern California to attend Cal State Long Beach, where she majored in Psychology and Counseling and never went back. It was there that she also met her husband Jim, to whom she has been married for 45 years. They settled for a short time in Seal Beach, and then moved to Rossmoor where they raised four children, each child four years apart from the other, who all attended Los Alamitos schools from start to finish.
It was through her children and the school she first got her volunteering feet wet when she served as an organizing member of the first LAHS Grad Night in 1984. Soon after in 1989, she began volunteering for the newly established Precious Life Shelter, doing part time work, counseling, recruiting other volunteers and serving on the Board of Directors. Precious Life was a 100 percent volunteer organization up until 1994 when Theresa was asked to become the first (and only) executive director, which she agreed to only after a family pow-wow that taking on a permanent commitment fit with all their needs. She remains the executive director all these years later.
Her “family first” philosophy has been a guiding principal that she applies to her work at Precious Life as well. She views the people she has worked alongside as extended family as well, and together they have been an invaluable asset for our community that serves homeless women in crisis pregnancies, helping them to rebuild their lives and become solid mothers through a safe, family-oriented environment. Through her work, Theresa has helped thousands of young women and their children to be in a better place in life, a chance no one else would have given them.
Even with the countless hours, the on-call late nights and responsibilities she has carried all these years, she and Jim have managed to find a balance in life through the enjoyment of travel. They find time to take at least two special trips every year. Her favorite place? Italy. Her children, now grown with seven grandchildren to brighten her days, continue to play a central role in her life. One Sunday a month the entire family still descends on her house for a family day, and on Christmas Eve each year, they play host to over 40 immediate and extended family that grows every year. A tradition so firm after 33 years, she is not even allowed to consider changing the home-made chili on the menu to something new.
When you ask her what has kept her going for so many years, she responds that “seeing so many women who have changed their lives and become successful moms,” knowing she has contributed to bettering a life in some small way has been more than enough. She sums up her philosophy on life very simply: “Family gives me pleasure, but giving brings me joy,” and when asked what one word would she like people to remember her with, she easily replied “Committed.”
I left Theresa personally lighter in my own heart and extremely thankful to have had even a short time to spend getting to know her story. I hope that if you see Theresa you will thank her for all she has done for our community as she is true to her word. Committed.
Elizabeth Kane writes the “Neighbors to Know” column.
