A New Start

By Alicia Horton, Mobile Assessment Worker

Bree, a single, working mother and her children have lived without a home for the past 3 months, due to a few unfortunate events. When they first became homeless, the family stayed with whoever would let them. We call this house hopping or couch surfing. The family would sleep on the floor or on a couch. They lived with constant fear of being asked to leave, and any sense of freedom or privacy was lost.  After wearing out their welcome with family and friends, the family ended up sleeping in their car until they were able to find temporary housing in an emergency shelter.

After a few days at the shelter, Bree’s caseworker referred her to Community LINC.  I called to schedule an intake screening. Since she’s a full-time employee working 9 to 5pm, I agreed to meet with her at her place of employment. One of the great opportunities at Community LINC is that we can meet family’s right where they are, reducing the stress of having to make arrangements for transportation or take time off work.

The family is now in the processing of being housed with Community LINC! This is a great start to the family’s journey to being self-sufficient again.