Single father D.S was living on the streets with his 10 year old son. Desperate to get his son somewhere safe to stay, he made a call to the YWCA Greensboro Emergency Family Shelter. Staff listened to his story before collecting the information needed to add him to our waitlist. After a short waiting period, D.S was invited to complete the intake process and enter the shelter with his son.

D.S entered our program with no employment or transportation. He began working with his Family Advocate Case Manager, Leslye, to set goals and create a plan to achieve them. The YWCA provided him with bus passes so he could attend job interviews and access other resources like the social services office. CEO, Deb Harris Richardson, donated collared shirts, suit jackets, and shoes that were given to D.S to wear to job interviews. He secured a job near the YWCA and was able to see his son off on the school bus before walking to work. With his first paycheck, D.S was able to purchase a truck and overcome his lack of transportation barrier! With a job and vehicle secured, it was time to locate housing. D.S had completed an application with Partners Ending Homeless prior to entering our shelter, and it resulted in a voucher for a 2-bedroom rental. Leslye provided him with a long list of vacancies and helped him apply for a house within his budget.

While awaiting a decision on his application, D.S remembered an overdue utility bill from his previous residence, totaling over $2,000. The utility company agreed to let him carry it over to his new place, but the amount was higher than what he would be able to afford any time soon. Leslye helped D.S find resources to pay for the bill in addition to replacement social security cards for him and his son. None of the resources were working out until D.S walked to Welfare Reform Liaison Project (WRLP). He explained who he was, where he was staying, and what assistance he was in need of. Shelter Director, Tiffany Dumas, received a call from Ms. Lovette at WRLP letting her know that they’d pay for almost all of D.S’s bill! The next day, D.S was approved for the house he applied for, and WRLP stepped up again to help pay for a referral for the Barnabas Network to provide free furniture for him and his son’s new place.

“We never thought there would be any chance of becoming homeless. When times got hard, it became a reality. The first two weeks were extremely rough, not knowing day by day if we would have somewhere warm to sleep at night. We were at the point of losing all hope when the YWCA took our family in with open arms. The support, motivation, and encouraging words from all of the staff helped us to keep pushing forward. Using the resources we were given, we were determined to change our situation for the better. Within a week of staying at the YWCA, we were able to sign the lease to our new home! The YWCA, and each & every one of its staff members has been a huge blessing to our family. They offer not only shelter, but also hope! A safe place, which allows you time to focus on becoming better! We are extremely grateful for all of the caring staff, our family advocate, the shelter director, and the president & CEO. This was truly an experience that we will never forget!”

– The “C” Family