. >> maybelle is a mother and someone who was formerly homeless. so she knows the sadness that combination can bring to a woman. so she wanted to do something nice to help others in just that situation. sitting on the edge of san francisco bay. not far from sfo, samaritan house's safe harbor homeless shelter has a beautiful location. of course the journey a resident takes to get there is often just the opposite. >> i was broken. no family, no friends. i don't know anybody. i felt so alone. >> reporter: maybelle came in june of 2014, escaping what she says was an abusive marriage. >> i had to decide that i had to, you know, save myself, save my sanity and just move. >> reporter: for maybelle who had lived comfortably in the u.s. since emigrating from the philippines, it was quite a come down. her first months at the shelter full of anger and depression. but ultimately, with the help of a community she discovered here acceptance. >> the idea of being in a homeless shelter with homeless people, i felt like, okay, i'm one of them now. i'm here. i got t