A Place of Peace: One Mom’s New Beginning at Home of Hope
For mothers struggling to find stability for their families, one former Home of Hope mom has a simple message: “It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to ask for help.”
After Whitney left an unhealthy relationship, she was looking for a stable place for herself and her two young boys.
“We lived with family members, but there we would have just a living room not a bedroom,” Whitney shared.
When living with relatives became difficult, she was torn between continuing to live without stability or returning to her previously unhealthy situation. That’s when she started looking for organizations that could support her and her sons while she regrouped.
She ended her search when she found Home of Hope.
After just a few months in Home of Hope’s program, Whitney saw a difference.
“There’s definitely structure and routine,” she said. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel, an end in sight. We knew there was a place we can go home to every night. A place we could actually call home.
“One of the boys said, ‘We don’t have to save boxes to pack again!’ It’s nice we don’t have to live out of our bags.”
Even though Whitney and the boys found peace and stability, she knows there are still challenges ahead — and she’s learning how to manage them.
“Having a roof over your head definitely makes life easier, but you’re still going to have those hard days,” she said. “I’m much more equipped to handle them now because I’ve got options, and I’m not worrying about where we’re gonna sleep that night.”
One Home of Hope team member — Whitney’s case manager, Ashley — has been instrumental in helping Whitney process these tough times and develop a plan for a better future.
“I’m a very anxious person, and when I do something, I like it to be perfect,” she explained. “[Ashley] always reminds me, ‘You can’t do it all.’ She’s constantly reminding me how much progress I have made.
“There were days when I went[to meet with Ashley], and I just had to cry. She just lets me have [that time]. She’s a mom herself, and she understands life is life. She reminds me I don’t have to be a perfectionist all the time.”
Whitney is learning to show herself more grace and to take advantage of the opportunities she had at Home of Hope.
“There can be such stigma over being at a homeless shelter,” she said. “I have a hard time asking for help, but you just have to remember that [the people at Home of Hope] want to help. They want to be there [for you]. It takes a giant leap of faith, but once you do it, it’s amazing how much better you feel.”
She’s grateful for the ways donors stepped up to make her children feel loved during their time at Home of Hope, especially as her sons started a new school year.
“We had two donations of clothes for their particular sizes. We don’t know who donated them, but it’s somebody who went out and took the time to buy them,” she shared.
“To be able to see that smile on my kids’ faces and not make them go to school worried or embarrassed with what they’re wearing, it really makes a difference.”
After having a roof over her head and people to walk with her even on her hardest days, Whitney is looking forward to the future.
“I have a sense of hope,” she said. “I have the support and encouragement to push through those barriers that were preventing us from getting anywhere in the past.”