I’ll never forget the day I walked into the Mission’s Family Shelter. I was eight months pregnant, with three kids by my side. I wasn’t sure where to go or where we’d end up. I never expected to be experiencing homelessness with my kids. I had gotten out of a long relationship and was newly sober. The house we were living in got sold and I didn’t have enough money for first and last month’s rent and the security deposits that all the apartments needed. We ended up living with family on and off, then moving from hotel to hotel in hotel, but money ran out. I didn’t want to bring my kids to a shelter but I was scared and desperate for stability before my baby arrived.
When we got into the shelter, it felt like a lifeline. We didn’t have much, just mats on the floor because all the rooms were full at the time, but we had safety, warmth, and hope. And then, only by God’s grace, something incredible happened, just before Christmas. On December 21st, I was handed the keys to a permanent supportive housing unit we had applied for through the Mission. It was truly a Christmas miracle. The apartment was more than a roof over our heads, it was a home where I could raise my kids in a sober, healing environment surrounded by support and community that loves us.
That Christmas, we didn’t have a tree full of gifts or a house that was perfectly set up yet. But we had something better. Stability, independence, and all of us, me and my kids, together. Fast forward seven years to today and we’re about to experience another miracle. This Christmas, my family is approved for a house of our very own through Habitat for Humanity. We’re working hard to finish our sweat equity hours needed to get the home, and by early next year, we’ll move into a home we own. For the first time ever, I’ll have a house with my name on the deed.
From all of us sleeping on mats seven Christmas’s ago to owning a home. It’s been God’s grace all along the way. I’ve come so far myself. I stayed clean, built my credit, earned a peer counseling certificate, held steady employment, and provided for all my kiddos. My oldest daughter graduated high school, moved out on her own, and is living independently. None of this would have been possible without the support of Mission and the incredible community that stands behind it. To everyone who gives their time, donations, or their prayers, I just want to say “thank you.”
You make these miracles happen. You give families like mine hope when everything feels hopeless. You remind us that we’re not alone and that a better life is possible. This Christmas, as we look forward to moving into our own home, I’m so grateful to all God has given us and how our entire community has supported us. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of my family’s story and continuing to be a part of it.
