Stories

Cancer Brought Alice And Harriet Together

When Alice came to our Shared Housing Program, she had lost her family home of 32 years. She was 68 years old at the time and still grieving for her husband. He had passed away after battling cancer for nine years. The medical bills had consumed all their savings. This brought her to a point where declaring bankruptcy was the only option she had left. Alice had never been homeless before, but now she had nowhere to go.

Shared Housing Program

At Home of the Sparrow, we believe that no woman or child should ever experience the trauma of homelessness. To support women like Alice, we developed an innovative program that matches home seekers with homeowners who can’t afford to keep their home by themselves.
In our Shared Housing Program, our program coordinators carefully assess potential matches and facilitate the entire process. A good match enables both parties to have a safe and stable home, companionship and affordable cost of living.

The home owner in this case is Harriet. Before she came to us, Harriet lived in a town house and things were working out well for her as a health professional. Her life turned upside down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was not able work enough hours while undergoing treatment. Although she was recovering, her illness had made it impossible for her to be financially stable. When Harriet came to us, she was close to losing her home.

Through our Shared Housing Program, we brought Alice and Harriet together. They hit it off immediately. Alice is now renting a room in Harriet’s town house at an affordable rate, giving Harriet the financial security she needs.

 

All client names are changed to protect the client's privacy January 23, 2017

Graduate Becomes Homeowner

Life had turned upside down when Mary’s husband passed away unexpectedly. Their son was still young. Although Mary had a stable and rewarding job, it became tough to pay her bills by herself.

Most of the women we partner with are in similar situations when they come to Home of the Sparrow. An unexpected life event like the sudden death of a spouse, illness, job loss or divorce can hit hard and throw a formerly stable person completely off balance. When a graduate becomes a homeowner, this is a reason for us to celebrate.

Despite her shock, Mary came to us shortly after her husband passed away. From the beginning, Mary was very open and driven to stay in the house she was renting. Her goal was to make sure that her son could stay in their familiar home while he was grieving.

Supportive Housing Program

For seven months, Mary became part of our Supportive Housing Program, where we provided a rent subsidy and worked with her to develop a sustainable budget, allowing her to build savings and to get back on her feet.

We look at each participant’s situation holistically. Through our extensive support network of counselors, service providers and other nonprofits we connect each participant with the resources necessary to achieve financial independence and self-sufficiency.

Our program coordinators were truly inspired by her strength, dedication and grace and how Mary handled this difficult time. During the program she joined a grief support group, we connected her son with one of our counselors, we helped her build her own credit score and apply for survivor benefits for her child. Home of the Sparrow helped her to gain the confidence to know that she can do this on her own.

Mary recently bought the house she has been living in and we are beyond happy for her. After this difficult year, Mary has taken her life into her own hands to provide for her and her son. At Home of the Sparrow we could not be more proud of our graduate and we hope that many can follow her example in the future.

We know how important it was for Mary and her son to stay in their familiar home. We are thrilled to see that our support truly paid off and that Mary is now a homeowner.

 

 

 

All client names are changed to protect the client's privacy January 23, 2017

Laura’s Story

When Laura contacted Home of the Sparrow three years ago, she was facing a lot of hurdles. She had just separated from her partner and her daughter was admitted to the hospital with a heart condition.

Without a second income, Laura could not afford to stay in her house. Her HOS program coordinator helped her locate an affordable apartment and provided several months of rental assistance in addition to helping her renew her teaching certificate.

Laura met with her program coordinator twice monthly to work on her budget and to address the needs of her daughter. Over the months, Laura received to-go bags filled with groceries, household goods, and toiletries. There were also special deliveries like a full turkey dinner at holiday time and decorations and cupcakes for her daughter's birthday.

Pre COVID, Laura was employed as a special education assistant. When her daughter needed additional medical treatment, Laura left her job to be her fulltime caregiver and educator. Laura soon realized that her teaching experience and natural talents could lead to a new business opportunity. With leads from HOS's program team, Laura entered the West Chester University Business Idea Competition. Laura made it to the second round but unfortunately, not the finals. "That's okay," she remarks. I'll just try again and do better!" Her entrepreneurial dream continues.

May 3, 2021