The mother stacks a folding stroller—her last belonging—in the trunk of her black Kia parked outside Samaritan House.
“We’re going to go see our new apartment,” she exclaims to her young son.
She straps her daughter into a car seat as her son jumps inside the backseat. With their belongings in tow, she drives away from the downtown location after moving out of their room on the family floor. They successfully completed the Samaritan House program for families within six months.
“Moms don’t stop,” she shares, describing her struggles to find a stable home for her and her two children. “We’ve got to keep walking forward and keep doing everything we can without hesitation, even when the world hits you as hard as it can. The only thing you can do is stand back up and keep moving forward.”
She will do anything for her children, especially to escape the abusive environment with their father, she says.
The Texas mom has no living family members. She arrived in Colorado before finding Samaritan House. The transition into Samaritan House was not initially easy for the family, but the staff provided clothing, food and diapers readily when needed.
While staying on the family floor, the mom says she persistently sought help and doggedly searched for an affordable apartment in the area. After she received word of approval for her home, she did not waste time. First thing in the morning, she walked to her case manager’s office at Samaritan House and asked for help finding furniture.
Mothers cannot give up and must keep moving forward.
Samaritan House also does not give up on families in need. Many families like hers face homelessness unexpectedly and come to Catholic Charities’ Samaritan House for a hand up. With donors’ generosity and our compassionate staff, Catholic Charities provides safe shelter, nutritious food, emotional support, job assistance, budgeting classes and more to help neighbors in need rebuild their lives and achieve stability.
With Samaritan House by her side, she finally found that.
“Yes, ma’am. The future looks good,” she says with a smile.
Someday she hopes to return to volunteer at Samaritan House and help other families facing homelessness.