“My daughter loves our new home. She says, ‘Mom, you’re the best mom in the world.” – Anna
Anna, a mother of three, became homeless when she left an abusive relationship. “I was a stay-at-home mom for 15 years,” she says. “When I left, I had to teach myself how to get a job, how to make money, how to get a car, everything.” While her children were living with their father, Anna was working several part-time jobs to make ends meet and was soon forced to live in her car.
When Anna learned that her eight-year-old daughter was not feeling safe at home with her father, she was determined to find housing for her and her daughter. Anna reached out to Community Resource Center for help and met with a case manager, Chad. She says, “It took some time, I really buckled down and was working 40 to 50 hours a week, working several minimum wage jobs.”
Unfortunately, in March 2020, the COVID-19 shutdown presented new challenges for Anna. She lost access to the gym where she was showering, her work hours were reduced and she was worried about how she would stay safe and healthy. Anna says, “The lockdown was really scary for me.”
Throughout the pandemic, Anna and Chad urgently searched for safe housing. Finally, in May 2020, Chad called Anna with the good news that there was an apartment available.
Anna utilized CRC’s COVID-19 flexible funds to obtain help with the deposit and rent for an apartment. She also received food at CRC’s Food & Nutrition Center and began meeting with a domestic violence intervention counselor.
Anna and her eight-year-old daughter moved into their new home this May. After living in her car for nearly three years, Anna shared: “When Chad told me we found a place to live, I immediately got off the phone with him and cried out thanking God. After I got everything moved in and settled, I slept in my bed and said ‘Thank you God, thank you God.’ It was like a breath of fresh air. My daughter loves our new home. She says, ‘Mom, you’re the best mom in the world.’”
In the midst of supporting those affected by the pandemic, CRC’s case managers are committed to helping families like Anna’s obtain stable housing.
It is more important than ever to make sure our unsheltered neighbors have a safe place to call home, and those that do have a home, are able to remain in them.
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