April 2018 Newsletter

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All The Means To Succeed

Every workday morning Norma diligently puts her two-year-old son Conner in a stroller at Samaritan Inn. Then she walks to day care and to class at the local beauty school. In the evening, she repeats the routine in reverse. Its the new disciplined schedule that she keeps as her plan out of being homeless and providing a stable home life for herself and Conner. They return here tired, hungry, and appreciative of the organization waiting for them. Norma said, “Its amazing here, the structure, bedtime, not having my phone at night, and no Facebook at night. There is a better sleep routine for going to school. We knew what was going to happen: chapel, bath, Conner in bed at 8pm every night.”

Life has not always been so orderly for Norma. Chaos used to prevail in drug and alcohol addiction. She successfully completed an addiction recovery program, and has been clean and sober for three years. While still in her addiction, she had two other children older than Conner. For the well-being of those children, the Department of Human Services placed the older child in a foster care home, and the younger in custody of the father. Foster care is an overburdened system in which very difficult decisions have to be made regarding the health and safety of children. Her older son was adopted by his first foster parents after two years. Her younger son suffered abuse by his own father, resulting in an attachment disorder and bouncing around in seven different foster homes. He is now close to being adopted. Norma is now motivated and determined to be a good mom for Conner.

In her search for a suitable place to live, they stayed at the home of her brother and sister-in-law. Norma said, “They had their own family dynamics going on, and they did not have room for us. We were sleeping on the couch there.” Her only other family is her mom, and that was not going to work either. She said that Conner thrives at Samaritan Inn and likes to come back here, calling it their big family and home. He even calls some of the women here “grandma.”

An important part of the environment here is to understand what people need for fulfillment. That void that we feel cannot be satisfied by the vices of self-indulgence. We have an inborn need to put our attention on our Creator and Savior. Conner sits on his mother’s lap during children’s chapel and they sing Veggie Tale Songs along with the video. Norma said, “It was taking time with him to cuddle with him. It was a bonding time.” And of adult chapel, “Just the energy in the room. Its hard to not be happy when there is worship going on.” She added, “Before living here, I knew there was a God, but I never had a relationship with God. This place really helped me with that. I accepted Jesus at Samaritan Inn.”

Norma and Conner have hope and a future. As soon as she graduates from school in March, she has a job lined up in a beauty salon. The now free child care becomes a $150 per month co-pay. Their wait for subsidized housing will be up soon. And they will launch as a family with all the means to succeed.