St. Mary’s Franciscan Shelter for Homeless Families
We measure outcomes for our clients according to where they go when they leave us. Over the last five years a third of our clients have moved to a place of their own. Corrine Jones (not her real name) and her son, Benjamin, arrived at St. Mary’s in the wintertime. She had been staying with family but both parties knew it was time for her to get out on her own. While she was with us, she found work, and we were able to use some of our grant dollars to repair her car. She found affordable housing and we were able to help her move her things from storage to her new place.
Because she was accepted into the Goal Achievement Program (GAP) facilitated by our partner agency, Open Hearth, Inc., she was still in contact with us.
Benjamin’s health was fragile. He saw doctors in Philadelphia regularly, and he required special dietary supplements. All these needs required money and travel.
During one of the early summer rainstorms, Corinne had an accident due to hydroplaning and totaled her car. Without consulting with her Case Manager, she had let the insurance lapse on her vehicle, so she had to find other means to get to work.
She applied for and received a car from Jump Start. Her transportation problems were solved. However, sharing rides had made her late for work and so she lost her job.
This account reads like a soap opera, but it serves to show her tenacity. She found another job within days. This new position was in the field she knows best, so perhaps the twists and turns and bumps in the road have been “for the best.”
She still has her own place. Benjamin’s health is improving slowly. She has another car, and maybe, just maybe, she will live happily ever after. She has been in no trouble, she has not destroyed her credit. She is still the intelligent, resourceful person we knew. Her love for her son and her commitment to care for him, and her patience in difficulty are remarkable.
Many cards have been stacked against Corinne, but we would still vote her the most likely to succeed. We are able to minister to her and others like her only with your help.
