Earlier this winter, Margie was staying at Samaritan House 48th Avenue, one of our women’s emergency shelters, after a season of instability left her without housing. Like many older adults facing homelessness, her path there had been quiet and complicated — rising rents, a fixed income and unexpected hardships.
From Samaritan House 48th, Margie transitioned into Client Services at Samaritan House on Lawrence Street. There, caseworkers walked with her every step of the way. Paperwork. Applications. Phone calls. Waiting lists. The kind of steady, patient work that turns uncertainty into possibility. Margie often shares how grateful she is for the caseworkers at Samaritan House who helped her navigate it all, offering guidance and encouragement when the process felt overwhelming.
In early February, Margie moved into a place of her own.
Her apartment isn’t large. But it is hers. A small kitchen where she can make her morning coffee. A window that lets in winter light. A door she can lock at night, knowing she is safe.
When she speaks about Samaritan House, she doesn’t talk first about the building. She talks about the people. The staff who learned her name. The caseworkers who never rushed her. The steady presence that reminded her she was not alone.