By Ann McCreedy | Grants Manager
Since November 2015, 252 donors have raised over $74,656 to support homeless and low-income women in Washington, DC. People experience homelessness for all sorts of reasons; lack of affordable housing, medical emergencies, job loss, mental health concerns or the death of a loved one.
We are so grateful for the continued support from generous donors like you that strengthen the Village. It is only though an amazing community of supporters that women like Patricia, whose story is included below, are able to find safety and a broad spectrum of services in an atmosphere of dignity and respect.
Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Patricia arrived in the U.S. in 1977 to be with her father, who was working as a physician in D.C. She settled into an American life, eventually getting married and starting a family. She became a home health aide and has worked with the same agency, Ideal Nursing Services, for 31 years.
But her life changed forever when her son was murdered. “It happened 19 years ago but it feels like nine days ago,” she says. “If you lose a child, you have to learn to adjust to a new life and learn to honor the loved one’s life by doing good deeds.” Over the years, Patricia has suffered many losses including the end of her marriage and her home to foreclosure. In addition, she lives with a permanent physical injury to her neck after a teenage driver slammed into the taxi she was a passenger in.
For 11 years, Patricia moved from one family member’s home to another. “It was difficult,” she says. “My health started going down. My blood pressure was going up. I felt like giving up. I started asking myself, ‘What will the end be’?”
She was relieved to get connected to N Street Village’s Step-Up rapid rehousing program, a one-year subsidized rental program that helps individuals get back on their financial feet and move toward self-sufficiency. “I needed someone to help me. A place to call my own. As a working senior citizen, I still need someone to help me navigate the housing system.”
“What makes Ms. Pat so special is that she often volunteers to help people who are in need of cleaning services,” says Pamela Wells, Step-Up Program Coordinator. “Through her work she often hears of others who have been unexpectedly hospitalized for extended periods or have had long stays in rehabilitation. She volunteers to refresh and clean their homes, so they return to a clean and organized dwelling. It’s her way of paying it forward.”
On March 2, 2023, at our 50th Anniversary Gala event, N Street Village was proud to present Steinbruck awards to Patricia and two other amazing women who overcame enormous challenges with the help of the Village. We were especially thrilled that the Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago Anthony W. J. Phillips-Spencer and his wife Joanne attended the event in support of Patricia, who is originally from Trinidad and Tobago.
“This award tells me there is something bigger out there for me,” Patricia says. “My goal is to give back. Just as N Street has given to me, I want to give back to people in need.”
By Ann McCreedy | Grants Manager
By Ann McCreedy | Grants Manager
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