A Grateful Heart & Positive Attitude - Tess’s Story
*To protect the safety & privacy of this participant, we have changed her name and omitted photos.
For her whole adult life, Tess* worked two jobs. She successfully supported herself and raised four kids.
After facing physical health challenges, she could no longer sustain the same grueling pace. Tess became limited in the work she could do and was able to access disability benefits in Texas.
But the cost of living was too high and became unmanageable. She couldn’t keep up, and came to Arizona where cost of living was lower.
When she arrived, she found temporary shelter at UMOM’s Halle Women’s Center.
Her case manager, Natasha, remembers Tess entering with “a grateful heart and a positive attitude, despite the fear of the unknown in a new city.”
Tess “hit the ground running” and focused on getting stable part-time employment. Within three weeks of entering shelter, she found a great job.
Just two short weeks after finding a job, Tess was able to securing housing in a community for low-income renters that’s stable and affordable for her budget.
At UMOM, we work to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring and Tess’s story is a wonderful example of how a short stay in shelter, supported by partnership with a case manager, can make a big difference in someone’s life.
If you or someone you know is at risk of becoming homeless, there are resources available to help.
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