Family gets opportunity to move to Alaska after experiencing homelessness on China Hat Road

(Update: Adding video, comments from Santiago family, Kevin Dahlgren)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Santiagos, a family who has been experiencing homelessness for a month on China Hat Road, are getting an opportunity to move to Alaska, and effectively move out of homelessness.

For the last month, home for the Santiagos has been a motor home off of China Hat Road, about half a mile into the forest.

They've been displaced since August 2021, when California's Dixie Fire burned their previous motor home.

"We lost our school bus motor home conversion that my daughter was born in. And we didn't have much of anything else" Michelle Santiago told us Thursday.

In June, they were passing through Central Oregon, on their way to see family. When their motor home had a mechanical issue, China Hat Road became home.

"She (Enola, her daughter) has a cousin here and, we thought we'd stop by and let her see her cousins before we leave," Michelle explained.

Enola, daughter to Michelle and her father Brandon, has high-functioning autism. She also has a great knack for drawing.

Enola explained a story where she drew a cat on her parents' bed: "I was trying to paint on whatever I had to paint on, instead of your bed, and I just had a great idea of painting your bed with a cat on it."

As the Santiagos pursued a path out of homelessness, a friend extended a helping hand. Brandon Santiago, who was offered a gig in Alaska, told NewsChannel 21 about how he got the offer.

"I was out selling T-shirts and jewelry, and I ran into a buddy of mine that is from Alaska, and he offered me a job up there. And I looked at it as a benefit to change mine and my family's life."

Others also assisted the family.

Portland homeless outreach consultant and drug counselor Kevin Dahlgren, who has received national attention for his outreach, initially met the family while doing outreach on China Hat Road in Bend last month.

He said he felt a story like theirs needed to be told, to show what is possible, not only for someone experiencing tough times in Bend, but around the country as a whole.

Dahlgren said, "This is a call to action to all the service providers: Come out here, do the work. Meet every single person out here, learn their story, identify their barriers and help them."

Dahlgren held a fundraiser and donated thousands of dollars for the Santiagos to fix their motor home, and take their new opportunity.

"For a person who doesn't drink and do drugs, and I work on the side, I still need help sometimes," Brandon said. "And without people like Kevin in the community, I wouldn't have been able to obtain those resources that I needed to fix this thing, so I can get back on the road."

When they move, Brandon will begin his job as a crab fisherman in Anchor Point, Alaska and make $60/hour. They plan on getting a ferry to haul their camper to Alaska, and will fly to their new hometown.