In 2011, Jodee Kalmen opened up her Lake Forest house, and her heart, to a teenager who needed a home.
Kevinn Sandoval, a then-high school junior who was also an undocumented immigrant and emancipated minor, had been crashing at friends’ homes or even sleeping on the streets.
When he was a toddler, Kevinn was abandoned by his father, who got re-married to a woman who would not condone a father-son relationship. Kevinn’s mother, a Mexican native who had brought Kevinn and his sister into the U.S. illegally, had been incarcerated and eventually deported.
Jodee’s neighbor asked if Kevinn could live with Jodee. At the time, Jodee was considering renting the spare room to bring in additional money after the death of her husband. Jodee also considered becoming a foster parent to Kevinn, but the process would take too long and he would be displaced from his current school and friends. So, Jodee let Kevinn move into her home to live with her and her younger son.
“I wanted (Kevinn) to be part of the household, so I gave him chores, just like I do with my own son,” she said.
It took time, but Kevinn became part of the family. He continued to go to high school and live with Jodee and her family.
A year later, Jodee realized that Kevinn needed more than a roof over his head. He needed to become a legal U.S. resident. After calling several organizations, she found PLC.
“We quickly realized that Jodee needed to become Kevinn’s guardian. Once the guardianship was established, Jodee could petition for Kevinn to become a legal U.S. resident through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status,” said Christian Abasto, Director of Litigation at PLC. Special Immigrant Juvenile Status is a government program which assists foreign born children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected by their parents.
Jodee was willing to become Kevinn’s guardian – if it meant helping secure Kevinn’s future.
The entire process wasn’t easy and involved tracking down Kevinn’s parents to get permission for the guardianship.
Kevinn and Jodee are grateful for PLC’s help.
“I feel more free,’’ Kevinn, now 19, said. “I don’t feel stressed out that I will be deported. I’m not going to waste away this opportunity PLC gave me.”
“PLC has given Kevinn a chance to succeed in our world,” Jodee added. “He is a good kid and deserves the best life has to offer.”
Kevinn, who works full-time at a local Chipotle, attends Saddleback College and aspires to be a mechanical engineer. He plans to take the citizenship test in a few years.
As for Jodee and Kevinn’s relationship, Kevinn said they are close.
“We started out as strangers, but now I see her as my mom,’’ he said.
If you are interested in assisting with a guardianship case, contact Senior Lead Attorney Leslie Lindgren or view available pro bono cases on our case list.