“It’s not easy to be in a good mood when you’re homeless.”
Laura is a survivor of domestic violence. She was in a very abusive relationship which she tried leaving many times. Each time she left, her husband’s family would convince her to go back. She became so disappointed in herself. She finally left for good when he began to abuse her son.
Laura and her son, who was then 13 at the time, moved to Asheville to be with her sister. When she arrived Laura discovered that her sister had died. She stayed in shelters and after a few months, she heard about Homeward Bound, went to AHOPE and got on the list for housing.
While waiting for housing, Laura moved in and out of shelters, she joined the Room in the Inn program and moved from church to church. She is diabetic and found it tough to get the right food. It was very loud and Laura had difficulty sleeping. She became depressed.
“It’s not easy to be in a good mood when you’re homeless.” The emotional support she received from case manager Will and other Homeward Bound staff has been so important.
After four years of moving around, Homeward Bound finally moved Laura into her own home. She has been here for 12 years but would like to move someplace nicer.
“I’ve had been looking for over a year but many landlords don’t want to take section 8 vouchers.”
Laura finally found a home and moved into a little cottage that she loves. She is ready to graduate from Homeward Bound’s Permanent Supportive Housing program.
“Being in a permanent home makes me feel safe and happy.” said Laura, “Having a roof over my head, and not sharing a room gives me a sense of freedom.”
Laura spends her time doing a lot of inspirational reading. She feels it’s important to be grateful. She is no longer depressed and really appreciates life.