Michelle's Story: Bringing Visibility to Homelessness

Photo Caption: Michelle & classmate, Angelique, learn to craft winning resumes at Women's Empowerment.

“I was invisible,” Michelle said"

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.

Even as her husband began squandering their income, Michelle selflessly withdrew money from her personal savings to pay the bills. She never seemed to find time for her passion: photography. Her work, improving her marriage, and dreams of a better future drove her to press on.

Becoming Homeless
Eventually, Michelle’s home went through foreclosure as her husband stopped paying his share of the bills altogether and his violence towards her grew worse. Soon after, she lost her job. She now had only one goal: to escape her abusive husband.

“I was afraid to spend one more night in the house alone with him,” she says. Michelle bears experiences too dark to share, and often, too dark to remember.

Michelle, like many others, became homeless for a combination of factors, including domestic violence. Ninety percent of the women served through Women’s Empowerment experience domestic violence. As home foreclosures and job layoffs continue to hit our region, hard-working, middle class citizens are finding themselves on the streets. In our community, the number of women and children living on the streets is on an alarming rise.

Finding Strength
Women’s Empowerment devotes services to women like Michelle, helping them get back on their feet when they need it most. Michelle and other homeless women, ready to make a change in their lives, are receiving training at Women’s Empowerment to go back to work, to find a home, to rebuild their self-esteem, and to successfully escape the cycle of poverty.

Michelle eventually found her way to Women’s Empowerment. Here, she received much-needed domestic violence counseling. She worked one-on-one with Erie, a social worker, who helped her find a safe place to sleep. Her volunteer mentor coached her, building her self-esteem and helping her gain the skills that would soon help her succeed on her own.

In fact, 80% of the women who complete our program are no longer homeless within just three months.

Back to Work 
Michelle completed Women’s Empowerment in September, and is now working again and supporting herself. She also finds time to volunteer in the community. She speaks to community groups to raise awareness about homelessness. She works tirelessly to bring visibility to this issue, and we hope you will join her.

Since Women’s Empowerment first opened its doors in 2001, we have seen Michelle and 512 others succeed through our program. Their 535 children have also benefited. With your help, we can eliminate the feeling of invisibility and the fear that so many homeless women face.

Together, we can help women like Michelle rise from poverty.