Since Mother’s Day is this Sunday, I started thinking about all of the mothers, especially the single mothers, who are sliding into homelessness now.
A former co-worker used to call mothers and children the invisible homeless. You don’t see them pushing a shopping cart or sleeping out in the open on park benches or under bridges where their children are vulnerable. They stay with family or friends until they’re no longer welcome. Then they sleep in cars and go to shelters.
By the time a mom moves into our transitional housing, she has lost a lot of connections - with family, friends and even service providers. Those supportive kinds of relationships are often tied to the neighborhood. It’s really difficult to maintain the crucial ties that took time to form and anchored her children’s lives.
Most of our moms feel like they have failed their children. You see it in the flat affect on so many faces when they move in.
Then, they begin to feel like their kids are safe and life is stabilizing. Their coaches and counselors connect them with services for their kids. They go to lifeskills classes and start working with a budgeter. They begin to create new relationships when they make friends with other moms who are struggling with the same experience.
They do their kids proud. 47 moms moved their children into a home they bought when they graduated from the program. Myeshia got her GED and is enrolled in college. Cindy is getting her MBA. Stephanie is going to law school next fall.
And, their kids have done them proud. Jermaine is the first college graduate in his family. Stephen is finishing his freshman year in college. Julius had his choice of colleges, but is joining his big brother Stephen. Tiffany is one of the speakers at her high school graduation and someday wants to be an attorney and eventually a judge.
Happy Mothers Day to all of the wonderful mothers who have passed through our doors. To all of the moms facing homelessness now, hold on to the hope. To quote Jermaine, “Where you are, isn’t where you’re going to be.”
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Miracles on Troost
One of my co-workers has long referred to our agency as the miracle on Troost. Troost is the street where our campus is located in the urban core of Kansas City. She says that the miracle is the way the lives of homeless families are transformed after being at Community LINC.
Another kind of miracle happened a week or so ago.
I spent a very stressful weekend worrying about cash flow. Our revenue has been good, but a great deal of it hasn’t been paid yet – it is pledges or receivables. When I came in on Monday, I had to borrow money to cover payroll.
On Wednesday, a man dropped into the office. The week before, he ran into a friend of his having lunch with our Associate Executive Director. Our visitor and his wife have been supporting an agency that assists homeless individuals, but they wanted to do something for homeless families. He followed the coincidence of meeting our Associate ED to learn more about what we do. She wasn’t in, so he visited with me.
He asked a lot of questions about what we do, but kept coming back to “What have you been praying for?” It was pretty easy to answer. I was praying for something to help our cash flow and cover the $30,000 deficit I was expecting in April.
He wrote a check for $30,000.
Another kind of miracle happened a week or so ago.
I spent a very stressful weekend worrying about cash flow. Our revenue has been good, but a great deal of it hasn’t been paid yet – it is pledges or receivables. When I came in on Monday, I had to borrow money to cover payroll.
On Wednesday, a man dropped into the office. The week before, he ran into a friend of his having lunch with our Associate Executive Director. Our visitor and his wife have been supporting an agency that assists homeless individuals, but they wanted to do something for homeless families. He followed the coincidence of meeting our Associate ED to learn more about what we do. She wasn’t in, so he visited with me.
He asked a lot of questions about what we do, but kept coming back to “What have you been praying for?” It was pretty easy to answer. I was praying for something to help our cash flow and cover the $30,000 deficit I was expecting in April.
He wrote a check for $30,000.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
It Made Me Wonder. . .
One of our residents died last week.
She was only 27 years old - a beautiful, young mother of a nine month old daughter in a happy relationship with a man who loved her.
She had a heart condition since childhood.
It made me wonder. Did she get the medical care she needed? Did she go to the doctor? Many homeless people don’t have a doctor. They don’t get regular care. They go to the emergency room when they need medical attention.
We’re all stunned at the loss – no one so much as the father of her child. It all happened so quickly. She was here and then in a moment gone.
It made me wonder. Did the stress and trauma of being homeless shorten her life? Homelessness has a profound impact. Over 1/3 of homeless mothers have chronic medical conditions. They have three times the rate of post traumatic stress disorder and 50% suffer from depression.
It made me wonder. Would she have lived longer if she hadn’t become homeless?
She was only 27 years old - a beautiful, young mother of a nine month old daughter in a happy relationship with a man who loved her.
She had a heart condition since childhood.
It made me wonder. Did she get the medical care she needed? Did she go to the doctor? Many homeless people don’t have a doctor. They don’t get regular care. They go to the emergency room when they need medical attention.
We’re all stunned at the loss – no one so much as the father of her child. It all happened so quickly. She was here and then in a moment gone.
It made me wonder. Did the stress and trauma of being homeless shorten her life? Homelessness has a profound impact. Over 1/3 of homeless mothers have chronic medical conditions. They have three times the rate of post traumatic stress disorder and 50% suffer from depression.
It made me wonder. Would she have lived longer if she hadn’t become homeless?
- Laura Gray
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Not Like Them
Senior Director of Programs and Operations Jeannine Short tells the story of Traci...
Traci and her daughter entered our transitional housing in September 2008. Prior to entering the program, she had a very lucrative career in real estate and was accustomed to providing a stable home for her daughter. When the economy began to turn for the worse and the housing market bottomed out, Traci found herself without an income and the ability to maintain the arguably lavish lifestyle she had become accustomed to. Consequently, with no income, no savings and a delay in unemployment benefits, she and her daughter found themselves without a home.
Upon entering the program, Traci admits she was challenged by the structure of the program. To suddenly be held accountable by someone else after a lifetime of self-sufficiency was more than a struggle for her. Too, viewing herself as “not like them” initially prohibited her from settling in and perpetuated a sense of entitlement. But, despite her best efforts, she struggled for several months to find employment. She was fending off harassing creditors, and as a last straw was turned down for housing due to outstanding debt. She gradually discovered that she was very much “like them”—needing the opportunity to put the pieces back together.
Fortunately, Traci was able to overcome her personal prejudices and begin actively participating in the program. As a result, she was able to find employment, settle over $3000.00 in tax and housing-related debt, obtain a license to sell insurance and move to permanent housing.
Traci and her daughter entered our transitional housing in September 2008. Prior to entering the program, she had a very lucrative career in real estate and was accustomed to providing a stable home for her daughter. When the economy began to turn for the worse and the housing market bottomed out, Traci found herself without an income and the ability to maintain the arguably lavish lifestyle she had become accustomed to. Consequently, with no income, no savings and a delay in unemployment benefits, she and her daughter found themselves without a home.
Upon entering the program, Traci admits she was challenged by the structure of the program. To suddenly be held accountable by someone else after a lifetime of self-sufficiency was more than a struggle for her. Too, viewing herself as “not like them” initially prohibited her from settling in and perpetuated a sense of entitlement. But, despite her best efforts, she struggled for several months to find employment. She was fending off harassing creditors, and as a last straw was turned down for housing due to outstanding debt. She gradually discovered that she was very much “like them”—needing the opportunity to put the pieces back together.
Fortunately, Traci was able to overcome her personal prejudices and begin actively participating in the program. As a result, she was able to find employment, settle over $3000.00 in tax and housing-related debt, obtain a license to sell insurance and move to permanent housing.
- Laura Gray
Thursday, March 25, 2010
At the Beginning of the Journey
Family Coach Frenchie Pulluaim shares how a mom used our transitional housing to give her children some stability and security after a year of chaos.
"Carrie and her family came to Community LINC from the City Union Mission Shelter. Carrie lost her job and struggled for a year - moving from family member to family member to friends. She finally decided to go into a shelter to keep her family together. Carrie has been job searching, but stable housing will make it more likely that she will become self sufficient.
Her goals are to gain full time employment and permanent housing. The children are in school and doing well, she is hoping that stable housing will help the children to feel secure and safe."
"Carrie and her family came to Community LINC from the City Union Mission Shelter. Carrie lost her job and struggled for a year - moving from family member to family member to friends. She finally decided to go into a shelter to keep her family together. Carrie has been job searching, but stable housing will make it more likely that she will become self sufficient.
Her goals are to gain full time employment and permanent housing. The children are in school and doing well, she is hoping that stable housing will help the children to feel secure and safe."
- Laura Gray
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A Hand Up
Federal stimulus funding enabled us to implement a Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing program targeted to prevent and quickly end homelessness for families impacted by the downturn in the economy. By definition, if not for this funding, the families served through the program would stay or become homeless.
From HPRP Case Manager Travis Beye:
A couple with four young daughters had been evicted from their home and were living in a homeless shelter. The mother was employed, and the father, who had lost his job due to medical reasons, was recovering and looking for new employment. The couple had located a rental house that would accommodate their family and that was within their budget. They were able to pay the security deposit, but needed assistance with the first month’s rent, after which they would be able to maintain their rent on their own. Their need was urgent, because they were about to reach the end of their allowed stay at the homeless shelter and they did not know where they would go. They also were afraid that the landlord of the house they planned to rent would become impatient and put the house back on the market.
The family met with Community LINC’s HPRP Case Manager to determine their eligibility for HPRP. They qualified for because they were experiencing an episode of homelessness but could also show that, with some assistance to get back on their feet, they would be able to maintain housing on their own.
After working with the landlord to enroll in the program, HPRP made a payment of the first month’s rent, allowing the family to move into a stable home. Realizing that the family had no furnishings for their new home, the HPRP Case Manager was able to work with Church of the Resurrection’s Furnishings Ministry to have beds, tables and chairs, dishes, kitchen items, furniture and even a television donated to the family. Since moving in to their new home in mid-December, the family has been able to follow their budget and maintain their rent and other necessary payments on their own.
From HPRP Case Manager Travis Beye:
A couple with four young daughters had been evicted from their home and were living in a homeless shelter. The mother was employed, and the father, who had lost his job due to medical reasons, was recovering and looking for new employment. The couple had located a rental house that would accommodate their family and that was within their budget. They were able to pay the security deposit, but needed assistance with the first month’s rent, after which they would be able to maintain their rent on their own. Their need was urgent, because they were about to reach the end of their allowed stay at the homeless shelter and they did not know where they would go. They also were afraid that the landlord of the house they planned to rent would become impatient and put the house back on the market.
The family met with Community LINC’s HPRP Case Manager to determine their eligibility for HPRP. They qualified for because they were experiencing an episode of homelessness but could also show that, with some assistance to get back on their feet, they would be able to maintain housing on their own.
After working with the landlord to enroll in the program, HPRP made a payment of the first month’s rent, allowing the family to move into a stable home. Realizing that the family had no furnishings for their new home, the HPRP Case Manager was able to work with Church of the Resurrection’s Furnishings Ministry to have beds, tables and chairs, dishes, kitchen items, furniture and even a television donated to the family. Since moving in to their new home in mid-December, the family has been able to follow their budget and maintain their rent and other necessary payments on their own.
- Laura Gray
Monday, March 8, 2010
Paying it Forward
I’ve always described the impact of providing an apartment in our transitional housing as being the gift of as a safe, stable place to live after being homeless, but last month our residents showed what it brings out in them as people.
After the Haiti earthquake, as the residents discussed the tragedy during a class session, one person after another expressed gratitude for having a safe, secure place for their families. That sense of gratitude lead to “what can we do for the people in Haiti.” They collected $161.00 for earthquake relief and are sending it to the American Red Cross.
Having their need for shelter met made it possible for them to see beyond themselves to the needs of others.
Their generosity is inspiring.
After the Haiti earthquake, as the residents discussed the tragedy during a class session, one person after another expressed gratitude for having a safe, secure place for their families. That sense of gratitude lead to “what can we do for the people in Haiti.” They collected $161.00 for earthquake relief and are sending it to the American Red Cross.
Having their need for shelter met made it possible for them to see beyond themselves to the needs of others.
Their generosity is inspiring.
- Laura Gray
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