What does homelessness look like?
Tammy, (not her real name), comes from a family that didn’t provide support or encouragement for her growth and development as a person. After graduating high School, she moved away from her family to attend college and worked while in school. Soon she found herself in Georgia.
Tammy worked hard to make solid choices and decisions in her life. As such, she applied for a career at Amazon and was offered a solid, living wage job. After a period of successful work, she met a young man who likewise worked at the same employer. The attraction was strong and soon they began dating and eventually fell in love.
After learning of her pregnancy, Tammy found standing at work to be overwhelming as her advancing pregnancy became more and more visible. Unable to work and needing both incomes to survive, their bills began to pile up and get further and further behind. The apartment they rented had black mold which made her condition dangerous. The landlord was unwilling to address the issue and instead evicted them from the unit.
With no other options available, even though her partner was still working full time, positive options for this family fell to zero. They had no place to turn but their car which also became their apartment. Here was this young lady, carrying her child, a time that should be exciting for most young ladies in this situation, now became a fight to stay alive.
Sleeping in the car during the coldest winter months with advancing pregnancy became one of the worst experiences of her life, depression became the norm, tired from lack of quality sleep, the situation became too much to bear. Her partner, loyal and committed to her and the baby, worked all he could but it was never enough. A couple of days in the hotel and then back to the car. The cycle got old fast.
Through sheer luck, she was referred to NDO Street Outreach. After hearing their story, the agency immediately qualified the family for a hotel stay and began working on better solutions. It was here where the couple finally got rest. It was here that the couple finally felt safe. It was here that the couple finally began to feel human again.
While the family was stabilizing and beginning to breathe confidently again, NDO Street Outreach made a referral to Family Promise of White/Habersham County. This organization heard the family’s story and qualified them immediately. What joy. Family Promise gave warmth, compassion, and opportunity to this family.
While her partner continued to work each day, despite the longer drive, the family drew closer knowing that two agencies completely supported them and would strive to work together with Tammy and her partner to see great things come of their lives.
With the baby arriving in a few short weeks, the family lives with anticipation of a great and peaceful future. Soon the family will be referred to NDO Re-Housing to begin the process of long-term, permanent housing opportunities.
This is one of the many faces of modern homelessness.
