Facebook 
Share Your Story
Homelessness happens more often than people realize. And it happens to all kinds of people.
If you have ever been homeless please share your story anonymously — help take the sigma out of homelessness. You may sign your story if you do not wish to be anonymous. Click here to share your story.
Building Futures…Beth's Story
Beth never really had a childhood. She endured sexual abuse by her stepfather followed by her mother’s abandonment. By the time she turned 15 she was pregnant and had married the child’s father. The marriage was full of violence and lies. Concerned for the safety of her three children and herself, she made the decision to divorce her husband.
Beth’s life has never been easy. She had a job, but it didn’t pay very much. Her children’s father never paid the child support that he owed. Taking care of three children on her own was difficult – the bills just kept piling up. Evicted from her apartment, Beth found out about Barrett House.
The 30-year old mother of three young children was grateful for the safe and nurturing environment. With the support and guidance she received from her caseworker at Barrett House, she was motivated to apply for our transitional housing program, Bridges to Self-Sufficiency.
The Bridges program found an apartment for Beth and her children. Her responsibility to the program is to pay 30% of her income for rent and meet with her case manager every week. Knowing that someone believes in her made a big difference. Beth continues to work and has taken a few courses to improve her skills. She was recently hired by a large corporation that pays her much more than she was making before. Now her family is covered by health insurance and enjoys many other benefits that will impact their lives for years to come.
Beth is on her way to building a better life for herself and her children. With determination and a healing support system, she was able to rise above the tragedies that plagued her early life.
Yvonne’s Story
For most of us, Hurricane Katrina seems like a distant memory
now. However, for one woman it is still very real. So much so, that
she is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, reliving not
only the hurricane but also the frightful time until her rescue.
Yvonne was 61 when she came to Barrett
House in hopes of starting over. She had spent a day and a half
on top of her roof before being rescued. She was relocated to
Albuquerque with no personal possessions but the clothes on her
back.
Yvonne’s life had not been easy. She was divorced at age 35 and
struggled to make ends meet to raise her two sons. She has a
bachelor’s degree in Sociology and worked at a hospital in New
Orleans for many years. For nearly 18 years of her life, she was a
functioning crack addict. She checked herself into treatment and has
been clean and sober for nearly five years now.
Once in Albuquerque, she was able to move into an apartment but
ended up losing it when she was unable to work as a waitress due to
numerous chronic health issues. Once again, she was displaced from
her home. She came to the Barrett House seeking shelter and refuge
from the streets.
While at the Barrett House, she met with a case manager who gave her
hope and encouraged her to keep going. She felt helpless and angry
over the chaos in her life. It was helpful to have someone who
encouraged and supported her every day. She was able to secure
employment and then was accepted into the Barrett Foundation’s
transitional housing program. Today, she continues to work and take
care of all of her health issues. She is currently dealing with
losing sight in one of her eyes. It proves to be a challenging
issue, but she is determined to cope with her disability. She
purchased a bike recently so she can get to work on the weekends. A
few months ago, she turned sixty-two but she feels young as ever.
She is also very active in the senior volleyball league. Barrett
Foundation has given her the security that she needed to rejoin
society and continue living her life.
Send Us Your Story
All of the fields in this form are OPTIONAL. If we use your story, we will only identify you by your first name.
| Your Name: | |
| Phone Number: | |
| Email Address: | |
|
Your Story: |
|
|
|
|