Success Stories
Recovering Faith in the Good Things in Life
“In November of 2003, everything fell apart for me,” recalls Trina, a foster care worker and thirty-something mother. “In one month I lost my house and my job. I felt like I was losing my whole life.” At the time, Trina, along with her three children, moved into two bedrooms of her mother’s house. Not only did she lose her home and her job; Trina also lost her spirit.
“I just didn’t feel there was any way of making things better,” she remembered. “I was on welfare for the first time in my life. It was a really low spot.” A few months later, Trina began working with Community Housing Network (CHN). CHN helped her find employment and began working with her to find independent housing. “First, I was kind of skeptical. At that point in my life, I was at a position that good things just don’t happen anymore. I was so depressed.”
When Trina started to go out and actually look for housing, she began to feel better about her life. “I felt like there was hope,” she said. During that time, she was receiving additional support to help her become independent once again. Trina had gone back to school and felt more empowered. She spent seven months carefully looking for the right housing opportunity – one that would be close to good schools for her children. A house in Oak Park struck a chord. “This home had been abandoned for two years, but there was something about it. I’d been without a house for so long, I thought, ‘I can make this house a home.’”
In 2005, Trina was able to lease the house through the CHN Homeless Leasing Assistance Program. She began putting her heart and soul into making this the home she wanted for her children. And before too long, she felt that her entire life had turned completely around.
Trina knows how very important CHN was in helping her through those dark times. “I look at myself today, with a master’s degree and a great job, and I can’t believe where I was only six years ago. My children are happy, we’re healthy, and we have a home we can call our own. I also got married. I feel so much happiness. I never dreamed that things would come together so well for me and my children.”
One of the things Trina appreciates most about the Community Housing Network is her caseworker. “She was always there for me. I still talk to her every so often about my new house, my family and my job. I also talk about how I’m feeling,” Trina said. “How you feel affects everything – your self-esteem, the process of getting back on your feet and making things work. CHN is not just a community agency; they’re a part of my family. They helped me through a very difficult time. They really do care.”
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