Meet Joanna. You helped her and her daughters find safe shelter!

Joanna is a single mother of two children, constantly working multiple jobs as she tries to make ends meet each month. From a full time job, to a part-time job, and even gig work – she puts in all the hours she can to provide for her family. Keeping up with this takes a lot of effort, so when she found herself in the ER getting ready for emergency surgery, she panicked.

“How was I supposed to keep a roof over our heads and keep up with bills if I couldn’t work? When I got out of the hospital, I couldn’t even lift a gallon of milk I was so weak. Eventually I lost my job when I couldn’t do the physical work anymore.”

With no source of income, Joanna lost her home as she slowly recovered from her health crisis. Eventually she swallowed her pride and reached out to family for help while she worked on a long term solution for her family. 

“We were staying at my grandmother’s house, but we were sleeping in her living room. We all knew it wasn’t a fix, but it would give us some time.

 

The most important thing to me was finding somewhere that would accept us as a family without splitting us up. Whether it was a shelter or an affordable housing complex, I just wanted to get a home again for my daughters.”

Joanna was determined to keep her family together and provide her children with the stability they desperately needed. That’s when she was referred to A New Leaf’s La Mesita Family Shelter, and everything in her life was about to change.

“La Mesita was a blessing. The staff there, they were incredible. I remember that Matt just immediately connected with me and my girls, and gave us so much support. Their kindness made all the difference as we settled into our new home here.”

At La Mesita, Joanna and her daughters were able to have a private, apartment-style shelter unit, three meals a day, and an after school program. Joanna had all the resources she needed to work towards stability. Most importantly, Joanna and her family were able to stay together.

“As soon as we settled in, I knew we had to work towards independence quickly. Thankfully, La Mesita provided us with the foundation to do just that. I’ve already started looking for a job that can accommodate my health needs, and my kids are doing well in school again.

 

Staying at La Mesita not only helped us find a home but also gave me hope for the first time in a long time.”

If you want to help families just like Joanna’s, you can make a donation below. This donation will provide a family experiencing homelessness the shelter, food, and hope that they need to get back on their feet.