For Christina, asking for help wasn’t easy. As a single mother of four to Uriah, Sayla, Micah, and Ezra, she suddenly found herself carrying the weight of raising her family alone after the end of her six year marriage. The unexpected financial burden left them without stable housing.
“When people hear the word ‘homelessness,’ they often picture someone living on the streets,” Christina shared. “But homelessness isn’t always that. For us, it was couch surfing and not knowing where we’d be next.”
Everything changed when Christina and her children arrived at The Whole Child’s Safe Families Shelter.
“From the moment we arrived, I felt safe,” she said. “The gated property, the staff at the front desk, and everyone who welcomed us made us feel like we belonged.”
The shelter provided more than just a temporary place to stay. It offered the stability every family deserves. With access to meals, fully stocked pantries, diapers, baby formula, laundry facilities, showers, and compassionate staff, Christina was able to focus on what mattered most, her children and rebuilding their future.
“The whole team became like family,” she said. “They helped us rebuild and recreate a sense of family during one of the hardest times in our lives.”
After spending the summer at the Safe Families Shelter, Christina’s family reached another milestone. With continued support from The Whole Child, they moved into the Lakeland Apartments, where they finally had a permanent place to call home.
“I was able to open our front door for the first time as a family,” Christina recalled. “It was a dream moment. We had gone through so much in such a short amount of time, and it finally felt like we had a win.”
Today, Christina is filled with hope for the future and gratitude for the people who stood beside her along the way.
“I’m so thankful for everything The Whole Child has done for my family,” she said. “They gave us more than housing—they gave us hope.”