More than a year ago she was put out of her weekly motel when she couldn’t pay her bill anymore. She and her two year old son were literally sitting on the curb with all of their belongings in trash bags. We were already working with her through our outreach case management, so her case manager called to get her an interview for our transitional supportive housing program. She had to go to a shelter first, but she and her little boy came to live at Community LINC last February.
She’s had a tough year and a half with a bitter divorce and custody battle, but my how well she’s done.
Myeshia found a job almost immediately and has methodically tackled the barriers that made life so very difficult. She paid off or negotiated down over $5,000 in debt (in part from her marriage) and she was able to eliminate the traffic warrants hanging over her head. She learned how to budget and has a savings account now. She received a certificate to participate in the Ways to Work program (an alternative to predatory auto loans for working poor families) that will help her get a car loan at a reasonable rate. She is also applying for a Habitat for Humanity house.
She walked in with a sense of personal accountability – she said that it was her own decisions that caused her troubles (homelessness). She set her goals and took advantage of the opportunity to learn new life skills. It hasn’t been easy, but she stuck with her commitment to work her program.
Her next goal is to get a better job, so she is enrolling in college this fall.
- Laura Gray
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