What would you do for your mother?
 
Regina worked as an office manager in Atlanta. As a single mother of a teenage son, she made every sacrifice to ensure a good future for him. Her mother guided and inspired her.  “She was always there for me, no matter what. She was my foundation,” says Regina. “And I want to be that kind of mother for my son.”
 
A year ago, Regina’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The news shook Regina at the core. She couldn’t imagine a day when she would pick up the phone to share news, but not have her mother to call. Regina wanted to be by her side, and her mother wanted her nearby, too.
 
“I needed to be there with her,” says Regina. She moved back home to Sacramento to care for her mother. With a good resume and work history, Regina was confident that she would find a job in Sacramento.
 
But with unemployment rising to 13.1% in the region, her search was in vain. And life was about to get much worse.

When she saw a homeless person on the streets, Christine used to wonder, “How do people end up like that?”
 
Then it happened to her.
 
She wasn’t alone. In fact, 56% of our newest clients are homeless for the first time due to the economy. Demand for Women’s Empowerment’s program continues to expand.

We have always been fortunate to have the support of caring community members like you to help women like Christine get back on their feet. In these difficult times, we depend on our community even more. If you have a little extra to spare, we could use your help. Any amount will help open doors for a newly homeless woman and her children.

Christine is a determined, kind, and hardworking mother of two teenage children. The blond-haired, blue-eyed woman looks like the mom next door. She “worked overtime with jobs on top of jobs” to make ends meet. Without a high school diploma, her options were limited, but that never stopped her. She worked hourly at a local health food store, running a small business on the side to supplement her income.

Brandye bubbled with pride and gratitude as she received her certificate of completion last month. She is the 600th woman to graduate from the Women’s Empowerment job readiness program since our first class in 2001.

A year ago, Brandye, a mother of three young children, was entangled in an abusive relationship where she had been stuck for six years. She had tried to leave many times, but without knowing where to turn for help, she always found herself right back where she started.

Brandye is not alone.  More than 89% of the homeless women who turn to Women’s Empowerment have experienced domestic violence. 

When Brandye finally summoned her courage and left, she luckily found a bed at a local shelter and learned about Women’s Empowerment. “I wanted structure,” she says.  “I needed someone to help give me direction so I could succeed on my own.”

At 18, Jackie aged out of the foster system. She slept on friends’ couches, moving from apartment to apartment as invitations were granted. She delivered pizzas to scrape by. After spending her entire life in foster care, she was angry, scared, resigned, and frustrated. She had no mother’s shoulder to lean on, no one to offer a hug or a word of advice.

When Jackie became pregnant, she knew she had to find a stable home. Earning $500 a month, she moved into the cheapest apartment she could find. It cost her $600 per month. She had never been taught how to budget, and she quickly found herself homeless when she couldn’t pay the bills.

At the age of 21, with a toddler in tow and another baby on the way, Jackie turned to Women’s Empowerment.

Yesterday was a special day. A donor stopped in with a bagful of necessities for the homeless women and children we serve.

A year ago, this particular donor sat on the receiving end of a similar donation, perhaps a gift you made. A year ago, Kathryn was homeless.

Kathryn owned her own business as an interior designer. She put in long hours and creativity to build a business she took pride in. Outside work, her family was her greatest joy. She would regularly sacrifice for their happiness. Yet all was not well.

She was sleeping in her car and had no money to buy food. Broke and unsure what to do, she would endure two or three days at a time without eating. Her compassion would not allow her to turn to friends for help, because, as she says, “they have problems of their own.”

For the first time in her life, Michelle was homeless.

Michelle once owned her own home; earned a good salary from her job caring for an elderly woman; and was married. Together, she and her husband also owned and managed a rental property. Michelle’s keen business sense meant she handled their finances.

Tracy beams. In two days, she is getting married. Like a bride-to-be, she swirls as she walks, claps her hands in delight, and her endless smile stretches from ear to ear. She stoops regularly to hug and kiss her dog. She exudes joy.

Not long ago, Tracy faced a different reality. In 1990, she witnessed an event that, to this day, she won’t discuss with anyone outside of Women’s Empowerment. As a result, Tracy experienced a mental breakdown and lost her job.

"I felt so disgusted with the world," she remembers. "I came to the river to die." Tormented by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Tracy sought to numb her mind. She soon became addicted to drugs.

When the holidays would draw near, Tracy's need to deaden the pain would heighten. She was embarrassed to contact her mother; she didn't want to disappoint her. Knowing she was alone drove her deeper into her addiction.