Strong Women

“A raccoon ate my Cheetos, “she said with a frown on her adorable 4 year old face.  Her mother sighed and told me she never wanted to go camping again in her whole life. She and her 2 girls had been homeless all summer and living in a tent, and the raccoon was the least of it—one night when they went to bed, they found a snake in the older daughter’s pillow case! (I’m snake phobic, so I would have been gone at that point!). Luckily, by the time they were visiting us at Hope House, the Opportunity Council had them staying in a motel and was finding them a more permanent place to live.  I was so impressed with the way this mother made things OK for her daughters when they most assuredly weren’t OK—a really great mom!

The homeless issue is hot in the news right now, and I will admit that  I am often frustrated with the lack of ambition some of our chronically homeless have. I am equally as frustrated with the lack of mental health resources for those who are homeless because they don’t “live in this world”, and who battle private demons every day.  But the above situation illustrates the silent epidemic of families/women/children that are also homeless. Lack of family support, absent fathers, abusive husbands, interrupted education—whatever the cause, these women and their children are couch surfing with friends, sleeping in tents and cars, motels if they’re lucky; and trying to keep their children in school and safe and fed. A tall order, but these strong women are working hard for their lives. We are proud at Hope House to help in any way we can and wish we could help more!

She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.

Proverbs 31:17