Deborah has never been homeless, renting her home for 10 years. Rent has continued to increase, and living on a fixed income, something had to give, because homelessness was a real possibility. Struggling with food insecurity, she began coming to St. Vincent de Paul for meals, and shared her story. She just needed to talk to someone to reassure her everything would be okay. Being on the brink of homelessness is scary but unfortunately, not unique for so many in Billings.
She didn’t want to stay in a place she could not afford but also didn’t want to be evicted and become homeless. We asked her for various documents, and with our help a budget was created for her rent. But a back payment was owed.
St. Vincent de Paul bridged the gap and paid the back rent directly to the landlord.
The budget put her on a path so she could stay in the same place. The $400 for rent would be tight but would work if the unexpected did not happen while she got on her feet. We also connected her with State agencies that could help provide rental assistance for an additional month. Deborah was more than relieved and couldn’t believe that someone would treat her with dignity and respect plus help her avoid homelessness.
Deborah remained anxious about affordability. Within days, with our Charity Specialist she met with her property manager to work out details to keep her housed. Today, Deborah is in the same place that she’s called home since 2013!
“You kept telling me that this would work, but I didn’t believe you. Now I know what you meant!”
St. Vincent de Paul welcomes Friends like Deborah no matter their age, faith, background, or what led to their despair. We provide meals and among our programs, we offer charitable support like one-time rental assistance. Sadly, being on the brink of homelessness and enduring hunger to save enough for rent has become common for families, women, and men in our community. Every week, more families are coming for the first time for meals and are humbly sharing their concerns about becoming homeless or why they have become newly homeless.
Because of caring donors like YOU, Friends like Deborah are served much needed meals to gain much needed strength and are provided support and renewed hope that is helping them avoid homelessness or end their homelessness. Thank You!
Comments