Adrian’s story
One of our moms recently shared her experience with us. Here is Adrian’s story, in her own words.
“I was 14 when I had my first child. I’m now 35 years old and have three children: 21, 9 and 6. Me and my best friend, Mary, we live in the house [at Home of Hope] together, and it’s great. We’ve been doing life together for about six years now. We first met when we were working at McDonald’s together and she would read her Bible at work. I didn’t know Christ, but I knew she had something I wanted and we became close friends through that.
“Before we came to Home of Hope, the apartment we were living in ended up with bed bugs. So, we had to get rid of the furniture and all the stuff and do extermination. We got rid of that and slept on air mattresses, but I couldn’t stay there anymore. So, we moved into these other apartments. We paid rent for another month but, since we were struggling to find jobs, the leasing agent told us we couldn’t stay.
“God is so good and gracious. The apartment complex gave us 30 days and helped us find a place to go. I called Rainbow Village, but they gave us Home of Hope’s number.
“[When I called Home of Hope] they told me to come in for a face-to-face interview and said we could move in on Tuesday. (It was a Thursday when I called.) We put our stuff in storage. God made a way and so we moved right in.
“I’m not perfect, and I don’t even pretend to be. I just try to do the right thing.That’s the good thing about God. Even when other people look at you in a judgmental way, God doesn’t. Even if people can’t forgive you, God does. And quickly.”
“I know 2020 was hard for a lot of people. But it was one of the best years of my life.
“[For me,] I’ve learned how to budget my money the right way through finance classes. I write down what has to be paid every week. [Home of Hope requires] you save 50 percent of your paycheck every week into a savings account. They help you manage every penny you make, and, I promise you, I don’t have a problem with it. I’ve been here since September and I didn’t have a job then. Now, I have money in my savings account. What I learned here I’m going to take with me for the rest of my life.
“With a shelter, you don’t really know what to expect, but this is home. Who would have thought? I thought it was going to be like no privacy or whatever. But I was willing to go through that. I would definitely say it’s changed my perspective on what a shelter can look like.
“I love this place. I mean it when I say that. I can’t give a favorite thing because I love it all. And I don’t have a least favorite thing to say about this place. That’s just being truthful. “There’s nothing I don’t like about this place — not one thing. How could we not be grateful? The staff goes above and beyond for us and I really appreciate it.
“One of my kids asked if they could stay here for a year. They literally love this place. They love the food, everything.
“You don’t find places like Home of Hope often. Be grateful. Be overjoyed. Don’t think that you’re entitled to anything. Don’t have a nasty attitude. I’m in a nice comfortable house and I get to save my money. I’m in a great position. We’re amazed and in total shock on a regular basis.”
“To the donors, thank you. Really, thank you. The dollars they donate and the things they give us are amazing. It even made me tell [my friend] Mary we have to become donors.” — Adrian, Home of Hope mom