“Christine” and “John” didn’t see homelessness coming. They were raising their four school-age children in a rental home in Palm Coast, making ends meet on his pay as a hospital security guard and hers as a child-care worker. Stunned last year by their landlord’s sudden sale of the house, they scrambled to find another place for their family. There were few houses or apartments with a monthly payment they could afford, and none for which their meager savings would cover the upfront rent and deposits. The family lived the next five months in motel rooms, with the parents spending every penny they made to keep themselves and their children fed and sheltered by the week. Trapped in this homelessness, they saw no hope for breaking free. And they might have been right, except for the kindness of people like you.
Christine and John and their children — sons who are now 9 and 18, and daughters who are 8 and 12 — were among 16 families who overcame homelessness in 2022 with help from Family Renew Community.
By allowing us to bring to an end to these childhood experiences of homelessness, your generosity is generational. Research shows children who experience homelessness with their parents are more likely than their stably housed friends to get sick, go hungry, fail in school or struggle with their emotions and behavior. And they’re much more likely to grow up to be parents who experience homelessness with their own children.