One morning in January, as I came in the door to work, I heard, “Hey Audrey, guess who’s back?” It was Gloria, a former resident of our Rebecca Johnson Apartments. Gloria recently moved from RJA to a one-bedroom apartment on the Southside. That day, she was stopping by to say hello before going to her job at a health clinic. Gloria was excited to show me pictures of her new apartment. After catching up and with promises to stay in touch, Gloria left for work. A staff person standing nearby said, “There goes a success story.”
Yes. Gloria is a success story. But that success did not come overnight or in a few weeks or months. There were years of steps forward then back, barriers and small victories. In a recent video, Gloria talked about her work with her case managers at Deborah’s Place, her church family and other supports that helped her on her journey to success.
That conversation with Gloria affirmed for me that even though there continues to be uncertainty and anxiety about COVID, Deborah’s Place is open for business and helping women like Gloria to heal and move on from the experience of homelessness, no matter how long it takes. Deborah’s Place sees every woman we serve as a long-term investment.
You are an investor too. As you read about our resident, Jenika, and see our highlights from the past year, we hope you will see that your investment in Deborah’s Place is a good one. We are humbled by your continued generosity as we navigate our work in the midst of the pandemic. In addition to overwhelming financial support, you conducted food and coat drives, donated meals and assembled gift packages for the women. Thank you for being an integral part of our mission.
As I look to the year ahead, I am reassured by the commitment of our staff, the generosity of our supporters and the resilience of the women. It is this combination of amazing people that makes Deborah’s Place a success. We look forward to all we can accomplish together in 2022.
Audrey Thomas, CEO