As part of our ongoing conversation on homelessness, we asked members of the Family Promise network and individuals working to serve families experiencing homelessness to share their personal thoughts and reflections on Family Promise and the issue of family homelessness. These writers are true thought leaders, using their skills and expertise to develop and implement creative solutions that are changing the lives of parents and children in their communities. This post is from an anonymous former guest of a Family Promise Affiliate.
It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that this time last year I was homeless.
And at that time how was I supposed to explain to anyone that I was homeless, in my hometown full of family and friends. I couldn’t get my heart to acknowledge this fully. And every time I came close it shattered all over again.
Regardless of how or why I got there, what I knew then and still know to be true now is that I was not alone in my struggle. Like a pathway lit step by step I was guided to various local resources. Each gave me a little bit of a boost to keep me going when I started to feel that there was no one out there who could help, or who cared, or who understood, or who knew what it meant to keep a promise.
Well, I made myself a promise that I would make it out of a scenario in which I never could have imagined I’d end up in, despite the mental, emotional, and physical toll it was taking, and that my children and I would be safe under our own roof together again.
When I finally ended up on the doorsteps of Family Promise, I knew that I had found something special. Every person I had the privilege of meeting not only showed me kindness, they showed me that there really are others out there who make promises. And keep them.
