Lashell was stuck. She could not find regular employment, only temp jobs, so she couldn’t earn enough money to get a place of her own. She tried living with family but soon found that the environment was doing more harm than good, it was toxic. With no other resources, she moved into an emergency shelter and became a face in the crowd. She wanted to change but didn’t know who to turn to or where to start. All that changed when she moved into the Teresa’s Interim Housing Program of Deborah’s Place.
The Teresa’s program serves 10 participants at a time so the staff was able to give Lashell the individual support she needed. They knew her name, they celebrated her birthday, they let her know that she wasn’t alone and they had her back.
Lashell credits Residential Manager Tiffany Isom with giving her the support and push that she needed: “When I met Tiffany, she encouraged me to take accountability. You can’t blame this person or that person. She gave me the extra push. She was my drill sergeant, my tough love, my counselor; she gave me that extra spark.” With encouragement from Tiffany, Lashell finally found a regular job and began saving money through the Deborah’s Place Savings Incentive Program, which helps match the money participants save so they have more resources for moving on.
With your help, Deborah’s Place was able to provide the safe and stable environment she needed to recover from her depression. “I’ve grown so much at Teresa’s. You have to be doing something progressive. To let them know that you want to be there, that you’re working on something, that you deserve to be there. You aren’t just waiting on someone to save you.”
Lashell found the space and savings to move on to her own place. She recognizes the importance of a strong support system, and wants you to know how much she appreciates your help: “We are grateful for whatever you give or do for us. There’s people at Deborah’s Place who wanna go somewhere and you going the extra mile helps a lot. This program helps so many people across Chicago, and we appreciate you.”
You can help another woman find her place by donating here.