Mercy left the Navy uncertain of her next steps. She wasn’t trained to be a plumber, electrician, accountant, or engineer — she was trained to operate, maintain, and repair weapons aboard a Naval vessel. It was a skill set that had few applications in civilian life, and she had given up college for it. She had hoped that the military would provide a better path for her future, but she left feeling that it did not.
This feeling of aimless wandering caused severe depression that worsened over the years. To cope, Mercy turned to using substances. She says her following choices led her to five years in prison. Once released, Mercy knew that something had to change. She needed to make different choices, and she needed better opportunities.
Like others with a history of incarceration, Mercy hit walls when it came to finding a home that would accept her background, and living in a tent wasn’t going to cut it. In need of temporary shelter, Mercy connected with ABCCM’s Transformation Village, which then connected with Homeward Bound’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families Rapid Rehousing program to assist with permanent housing and case management. This was the opportunity she needed.
“I knew with my background, it was not going to look pretty,” shares Mercy, who struggled to find an affordable home in post-Helene Asheville. “I wasn’t going to be able to get a place by myself. Having a program where you have landlords that will work with you and give you that chance to prove yourself —that was life-changing.”
Today, Mercy has lived in her home with her partner for over a year. Mercy is proud of the sense of ownership and accountability she feels because her name is on her lease. She’s also very proud of her work as the Operations Manager at Deep Time, a local coffee shop that works with people who have been impacted by incarceration.
“I’ve been at Deep Time for almost two years,” she says. “And it’s been a journey —a journey in finding yourself and finding the possibilities that you may not have been able to go after before. Some of these resources, like Homeward Bound, have really opened up a lot of opportunities for me.”
Mercy and her SSVF Case Manager, Jack.
Thanks to the stability of home and employment, Mercy has developed other skills aligned with her goal of building a career with Deep Time, including earning her Community Health Worker Certification and enrolling in the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor program. She hopes to help Deep Time grow and open new locations to offer better opportunities to others.
In her free time, Mercy loves to cook, crochet, and be with her friends, all things she values dearly. Previously, she never had a stable place to keep her belongings. The simple fact that she has a home and a place to store her yarn means the world to her. She believes barriers like the ones she faced shouldn’t exist when all they do is hold people back from success.
“Let go of the stigma that society has drilled in every one of our heads…. Just because you’ve had that background does not mean that this person is a throwaway person. If they’re given the right resources, they will prove to you that they are worth something. And given the right opportunities, they will flourish, they will grow, and you’d be very surprised.”
