Posted on October 11, 2011
Virginia Supportive Housing is proud to share the story of Michelle Christian…in her own words!
Counselor Aisha Quarles (left) and Homeowner Michelle Christian (right)
In 2009, my daughter and I were living in a house that was contaminated with lead. Due to the inadequate living conditions I was in, I made the decision to focus completely on doing what was necessary to buy my own home. I didn’t know if I could really become a homeowner, but I wanted to try.
My daughter heard about a housing class in Hopewell, and we attended. In the class, we learned about VIDA, a savings match program designed to help low-income families move toward home ownership. I made an appointment with Virginia Supportive Housing, found I was eligible, and joined.
With help from my VSH counselor, the financial literacy classes, and the homebuyer education class, I learned what I needed to do.
My counselor held me accountable for my actions, and kept me on track with saving money and getting debts paid off quickly. I wanted this goal so badly, I chose to sacrifice and I could have sought out housing, but I chose to live in my car for 13 months to accelerate the process.
I saved $2000 in the VIDA program, they matched my money and gave me an additional $4000. Then I learned about another program that provided an additional $23,000. The additional money from these programs made it possible for me to purchase my first home!
What do I want for my future? I would like to open my own bake shop and teach others the skill and art of cake decorating.
Michelle officially closed on her new home on September 30. Congratulations!
Posted on October 5, 2011
Last Friday, Capital One hosted a picnic for VSH clients and staff, and thirty-seven Cap One associates supported this great event. One volunteer, Tracy, shared this story about her personal experience with homelessness:
“My father had been searching for his father, my grandfather Jack, for over 40 years. A few years ago, we found out that he was homeless and had been living on the streets of San Diego for 30+ years.
“We found out that, in 1949, he received a dishonorable discharge from the military. We also found out that he had been involved in some criminal activity after his discharge. All of this alienated him from his family and eventually led to his homelessness. After searching for so many years, my father didn’t care so much about any of that. He just really wanted to get him off the streets. Even though we didn’t know him very well, we still had our own special bond with him and really wanted to help him!
“Despite everything we were able to find out about Jack’s situation, it proved extremely difficult to locate him. We were able to establish that he was consistently using a certain shelter in downtown San Diego, and we called several times and spoke to a priest who said he would give him our information. We were also able to contact his case manager and she has been wonderful trying to piece things together for us.
“My grandfather knew that we were looking for him, but no matter what we did we couldn’t get through to him. At one point, my dad even drove out to California to see if he could make contact, but he didn’t succeed. The case manager told us that my grandfather was sick and needed medication but wasn’t willing to take the help that was being offered to him. He was becoming sicker and sicker but continually refused to be hospitalized.
“On the evening of March 16, I was at home doing some additional searches and I found out that Jack had passed away on 2/19/2011. He passed away in the hospital after being found near death on the street by a Good Samaritan. Unfortunately he was alone!
“As a family we were very disappointed that we were not able to reconnect with my grandfather before he passed, and very sad that he died without family. As I have gone through this whole search process, I have come to realize that there are an amazing number of people on the streets who are in a similar situation. My prayer is that homeless people will get the assistance they need before it’s too late. At the picnic, I was reminded again that what Virginia Supportive Housing does is so important. No one deserves to spend their last days like my grandfather, sick, alone, and homeless.”
Unfortunately, Tracy is right. There are more than 100,000 chronically homeless individuals sleeping on the streets of America on any given night. Their ages, backgrounds, and experiences may differ, but one thing unites them all. Their medical vulnerability and chronic homelessness makes them three to four times more likely to die prematurely in circumstances we wouldn’t wish upon anyone.
Like Tracy, we at Virginia Supportive Housing strongly believe that no one deserves to live on the streets, struggling with illness and cut off from loved ones. That’s why we work hard every single day to provide permanent housing and support services for these individuals, so that their health needs can be addressed, their lives can be repaired, and their hope can be restored.
For Tracy’s grandfather, Jack, it’s too late. But for so many others, we CAN make a difference.
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