Don't Give Up!
"I'll never forget the day we were evicted," says *Mary. "It was my older daughter's 10th birthday. And I was in the worst particular spot you can be."
Problems with reliable day care caused Mary, a single mother, to miss work. She eventually lost her job. No job meant no money for rent; then came the eviction. The family moved into a shelter for homeless families. Mary's younger daughter had her fifth birthday during their stay there.
While at the shelter, Mary heard about Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester Counties (Penna.) She was excited, but also scared. After being accepted into the program, she met her mentoring group from Grace United Methodist Church.
"Because of some things in my past, I didn't feel good about myself and I had a hard time even looking at people," she says. "Although it was scary, I decided that I just needed to be up front with them."
Mary says that her mentoring group and the Bridge of Hope staff provided wonderful support during the program. "They helped put me on the right path and kept me going. They gave me hope that things weren't going to be this way forever."
Eric and Sue, a married couple in the mentoring group, became like a brother and sister to Mary. "They have been with me through everything," she says. Mary and the girls still get together weekly with the couple. Eric is teaching *Kelly chess. Sue enjoys reading books to *Kyesha and has taught Kelly to play the violin.
Mentoring friendships - combined with the assistance of Bridge of Hope staff and Mary's work and faith in God's provision - helped her reestablish a stable and secure home for her family. "Bridge of Hope helped me meet my goals," she says. "I have a good job and good day care for my children. And I learned how not to get stuck in 'the pothole' again!"
What would Mary say to a homeless single mother today? "Bridge of Hope can give you hope when it feels hopeless. It's hard, but you can do it. Don't give up!"
*Names changed to protect confidentiality.
