By Mary McGuigan | Development Director
Your support helps us empower our families to move toward a life of stability. In 2012, Genesis Home served a total of 42 homeless families, 37 of which had women as the head of the household. Additionally, we served a total of 93 children: 43 were from the ages of 0-5, 23 from 6010 and 27 were 11 or older.
Below is a story from Andrea, a Genesis Home graduate, who tells us how the programs helped her family:
“If someone had told me that I would end up in a homeless shelter, I would have said they were crazy. I came to Genesis Home directly from the Crisis Center. My prayer while I was in the battered women’s shelter was: Lord, give me a place to go where I won’t have the sole responsibility of taking care of myself, because I need a place of refuge and solace to rebuild my life. That is what I found at Genesis Home, an opportunity to heal. It wasn’t a handout; it was a step up.
“With emotional and mental abuse, you don’t know how bad it is until after you’ve left the abusive situation. I was timid and terrified of everything. I had to believe that I could start a new life, but when you have lost your confidence for so long that seems impossible. I had been slowly dying, breathing in and breathing out, but not living, just making myself go through the motions of taking care of a house and family. I was invisible. My daughters tell me I smile more now. That is because I am not hurting.
“I would not be where I am today without Genesis Home. I needed the time to process, grow and heal. I learned to take small steps, set goals and then take the next small steps and reach those goals. I learned to believe I could rise above the situation that had placed me here. Now as I rediscover myself and come back to life, I like the new me. I am on my way to a better life."
After 14 months at Genesis Home, Andrea worked as a part-time substitute teacher and a receptionist caring for her daughters in their new home. Her journey is just one of the stories you would hear if you spoke to the families and children living at Genesis Home. Our families are rebuilding their lives every day and are working with trained staff to find their way to a brighter future.
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