After months of homelessness, Lindsay’s family found stability and a renewed hope through our Bridge program. With gratitude for the Mission, they are now in their own apartment in time for the holidays.
“For parents who are homeless, worrying about whether your kids are going to get Christmas gifts—people don’t think that it would be a worry, but it actually is. You don’t want your kids to have to miss out on their entire childhood just because [you’re in this] situation.”
Lindsay
Lindsay, her husband Christopher and their two teenagers, Alex and Audrey, spent seven months on the streets.
Despite Christopher having a job, they had to sleep in their car and panhandle to have enough money for hotels. Lindsay has a disability that doesn’t allow her to work, which made living on the streets an extra challenge. “Not only were we having to move hotel rooms every single day, but we would have to move every piece of our belongings into a shopping cart, move it the mile up to where we would panhandle, and then walk back,” she explained.
Right before winter, Julie Archuletta, manager of case management at The Crossing, called with the news that a room was available through the Mission’s “emergency family shelter.”
“Julie was like, ‘Can you be here Monday?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, two more nights in the car ain’t gonna kill us.’ And she was like, ‘You’re sleeping in the car? Get here today.’ So we got there that day,” Lindsay said.
This allowed Lindsay’s family to have a more stable place before officially joining the Mission’s Bridge transitional program. “We have a solid place that we can come back to,” Alex said. “Things like running water, electricity and food.”
Now, a year later, they are grateful to the Mission for so much more— counseling, the Youth Center, a consistent and safe environment, kind staff, and joy during the holidays.
“There is always a staff member here who is willing to sit down, let you get it off your chest and they don’t judge you,” Lindsay said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
The support from The Crossing’s Youth Center made transitional living easier for Audrey and Alex. “I really enjoy the Youth Center. They offer twice a week tutoring, Bible study and they do healthy relationship workshops and budgeting workshops,” Alex said.
With the new addition of a teen room, Alex and others have support during a time of uncertainty and a safe space to have fun with those their own age. And through a growing partnership with Young Americans Bank, the Youth Center also helped Alex and Audrey start a checking and savings account.
“My kids are saving money. My kids are learning financial independence, and that’s important,” Lindsay said. “I really appreciate that the youth department was able to take them.”
The Youth Center also works hard to make sure the holidays are a special time for each kid living at The Crossing. From Christmas movies, special Bible studies, helping kids receive new cold weather clothing, and more, they make it a point to celebrate.
“They have a lot of programs and exciting things happening so kids don’t get bored or feel left out. They make it feel really special,” Alex shared.
Homelessness as a Teenager
Alex, 16 years old, recalled one cold day that their family experienced: “We were in a hotel, and we had to panhandle for the money to go back. Our stuff got snowed on, and then it started to rain. We were all soaking wet.
You feel like people are less likely to want to help you because they don’t want to roll down their window in the rain. I walked around all the random stores in the area and got a bunch of trash bags. My feet were freezing. We took our shopping cart and covered it in trash bags to keep our stuff dry because once we got back to the hotel, we didn’t have the money to pay for the washing and drying machines.”
Grateful for the Present
Last Christmas, Lindsay’s family was overwhelmed by the gifts and love offered to them through the Mission.
“I’d never seen a Christmas program that didn’t cut off super young. I was, like, ‘You actually give gifts to teenagers?’ And they were like, ‘Yeah!’” -Lindsay
“We got so much last Christmas. The youth room let us know that sponsors would give us gifts, and we pretty much got every single thing we asked for. And then they do stockings and a huge dinner. They put all the tables together and they have decorations. I think it makes it really special, especially for people who haven’t experienced it in a long time.” -Alex
Now, after 19 months, Lindsay, Alex and their family have moved out of The Crossing and into an apartment of their own—just in time to celebrate the holidays. They are grateful to finally have more space for their family to spread out, play board games and begin to create new Christmas memories.
“Having a true Christmas tree and being able to decorate it will be nice,” Alex said. “And just being able to sit in the living room with your family and watch a movie and open gifts.”
Lindsay is looking forward to furnishing their new apartment with free, donated furniture thanks to the Mission’s Ministry Outreach Center. She also hopes to come back to the Mission to volunteer in the Youth Center. And as they look back on where they were when they came to The Crossing, they are grateful for the village of support that helped them get to where they are now.
“When we first got here, we were using a shopping bag as a trash can. We didn’t have a broom, we didn’t have a mop, we didn’t have laundry baskets,” Alex said. “Without the help of the Mission, we wouldn’t have any of those things when we moved [to our new apartment]. Sure, we’d be under a roof, but we wouldn’t have anything to sit on, to eat off of, anything like that.”
Give Hope for the Holidays
Last year we served double the number of kids, which means your generosity will make double the difference for families like Lindsay’s this holiday season!
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