A New Lease on Life – Felicia’s Story
“I signed the lease to my apartment today and I'm so excited. It was a long journey to get there.”
But Felicia wasn’t so sure at the beginning of this journey. “I would tell people not to be scared to ask for help. That was my whole problem. I did not want to get help. I was always doing everything on my own. For a long time, I was in my addiction and not having to worry about a little person and living out of trash cans. I figured it was easier to be homeless.”
Felicia was homeless for five and a half years before she was ready to make a change. When she found out she was pregnant with her daughter Sapphira, she asked her mom for help.
Felicia’s mom works in mental health and was able to get her into classes and working a sobriety program so she could start to get back on her feet. But when her sister, who has four kids, needed to get out of a domestic violence situation, Felicia left her mother’s home to make room.
With help and support from her sponsors, she was able to get onto the wait list for emergency shelter, ultimately coming to UMOM New Day Centers.
Felicia was immediately grateful she could bring her dog Streak into shelter with her and baby Sapphira. Over the years, she’s struggled with heart problems and a seizure disorder. Streak is a loyal medical service dog that acts as an early warning system, a medication reminder, and even helps to calm Felicia when her blood pressure gets too high.
Felicia’s case manager, Sherry, lights up when asked about how far they’ve come. “She's a great mom. That's the first thing. She is a very, very great mom and she's a great communicator.”
Case managers at UMOM are like life coaches who are deeply connected to local resources and tools to help their clients. The process of accepting help and changing your life can be overwhelming, but Sherry just asks people to stay in touch, be transparent about challenges so she can help to the best of her ability, and to focus on taking positive actions to move forward.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Both Felicia and her daughter had health issues to address early in their stay at UMOM. Sherry knew health had to come first, and then they could work more deeply on helping Felicia get ready to manage a home of her own.
With Sherry’s guidance and support, Felicia filled out forms for just about everything. She completed a job readiness program and got a part time job to augment the disability support she receives. And, through it all, Felicia is continuing to participate in a sobriety program to support her long-term recovery.
Felicia & Sapphira with UMOM Case Manager Sherry
Reflecting back, she says “I would tell people not to be scared to get help. There are resources and people who actually care out there and they will help.”
Sherry has nothing but praise to offer, “Felicia has done great and she can't underestimate what she's done for herself. I asked her to go to workforce. She went to workforce. Anything when it came to providing for her future, she's done it. She's going to do great. She's going to be good.”
If you or someone you know is at risk of becoming homeless, there are resources available to help.
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