June 2021 Newsletter

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Finding Home

Homelife for Rose had always included her mother, during her first 31 years of life. That was the case except for a brief couple of months she lived with a boyfriend. It was a bad experience of abuse, that sent her back to the security of her mother, not to try that again. Rose and her mom shared rent on a house, depending on each other financially and emotionally. Rose has a learning disability, her mom had liver cancer. Her mom passed away in July, 2019. Two weeks later, Rose broke an ankle. She developed an overeating compulsion dealing with the grief. There were compatibility issues with members of her family. Then she found a temporary home with true friends. It worked well for several months during her grieving and physical recovery, until her friend’s snowbird parents (that own the home), returned for the winter. Her friend helped her sign up for HUD Section 8 housing for low-income and disabled people.

Samaritan Inn has been Rose’s waiting place, indeed one of personal growth and transition to living on her own. Her friend accompanied her here. Rose remembered, “My mind was like, its all brand new, crazy. I didn’t know what to do. I was scared becoming homeless, being around a lot of people and strangers. I don’t drive, never have.” Dawn was on duty at the desk that afternoon. Rose said, “She is a really nice lady. She talked to me about what’s going on, not scary. It relieved me of any fear I had. They helped me get into the routine. Its a really nice place that women can go to get the help that they need.”

Rose said, “Chapels were awesome. Randy and Susy were the first (volunteers) I met and they were really awesome, caring about us and teaching us about what Jesus could do for us, heal and restore relationships. Now my relationship with my family is a lot better. We text.” Rose is a member of a local church. She attends and volunteers at Celebrate Recovery, a Christian organization that helps people with “hurts, habits, or hangups.”

A caseworker at Samaritan Inn met with her to develop a plan and budget. Finally in March of this year, Rose was informed by a Public Housing Agency that she was at the top of the waiting list. After receiving a housing voucher (with a limit on rent and utilities), she went online to find a property management company with HUD approved housing. She found an apartment in Roseburg on a bus route. Rose lived at Samaritan Inn 17 months finding home. She was now ready for her own place.