Last month we hit a new milestone by moving our 400th person out of homelessness & into permanent housing. We can’t do this great work without your support, so we wanted to share Donna’s story with you as a reminder that all these numbers we talk about are real people, and that everything you do to invest in the solution to homelessness makes a big impact in someone’s life.
When we moved Donna out of Room in the Inn & into her own apartment in July 2012, it was the first time she’d had a place of her own in 9 years. She’d been in Room in the Inn for 9 months, which were also the first 9 months in a long time that she’d been clean & sober. Because she’d experienced abuse at home, Donna started alcohol & drug use when she was 12 years old, She got a GED & employment, but was never able to keep either a job or an apartment because of her addiction.
From her first day in Room in the Inn, she started attending NA & AA meetings. She got reconnected to mental health treatment & is now back on medication. She’ll tell you that she didn’t think she could beat her addiction at first, but the more meetings she attended & the more accountability she had through Homeward Bound, the more that changed. Donna’s told us: “I used to find every excuse to get high. Now I find every excuse not to, and it’s a pretty good feeling.”
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church sponsored Donna’s move-in (learn more!) & brought her everything she needed to make her house a home. Now that she’s in her own home, Donna’s continuing to go to NA & AA meetings, & she’s connected with Vocational Rehabilitation to pursue employment. Most importantly, she’s built a support network around herself & finally has people to call on if she needs help. “I’m so grateful for it. If it wouldn’t have been for Room in the Inn and Homeward Bound, I wouldn’t be in a home. I worked really hard for it, and I absolutely love it,” Donna said.
Congratulations to Donna on this new season in her life & to all of you whose support of Homeward Bound made that possible!
