Welcome
to the new Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley blog! Here you will find
updates and stories of how our families are overcoming homelessness. Our
mission is to help homeless families achieve and sustain independence through a
community response to homelessness. For our first post, we’re taking a step
back to remember a success story of our very own marketing director, Felicia Burg:
This
is the story of when my children and I had no place to call home. My story
begins when I was 17 years old and my family was split up due to my mom's
mental illness. I was left to fend for myself; this was my first experience
with homelessness. I had little experience with real life skills and found
myself in a viscous downward spiral of drug addiction and living on the
streets. For seven years I lived on our local streets (in Billings) jumping
from couch to couch, and sleeping in church doorways and parks. I felt hopeless
and destined to live this way. Then I found myself expecting my first son. I
wanted something for my children, so I tried to improve my situation on my own
by working an entry level job and finally renting an apartment.
I wanted so much to provide a home for my child and be "normal" like everyone else. Well, with a minimum wage salary, no skills, and bills piling up, I ended up back on the streets, this time with two children in tow. Finally, one day I looked at my children and realized I need a major life change and reached out for help to achieve sobriety and permanent housing.
After being accepted in the Family Promise Network, I was brutally honest with the case managers about where I was coming from, but instead of judging me, they accepted me with open arms. After a few weeks, with my immediate housing, food, and transportation handled by the organization, I was able to emotionally relax enough to work on a case plan. In the most loving and direct ways, the program taught me how to successfully start to learn the life skills that were totally foreign to me. Family Promise taught me simple resume skills, budgeting, parenting, strategies, and the ability to believe in myself. The staff encouraged me to explore a different path for my future. After almost two years working with Family Promise, I progressed to a manager position with my job. I also completed a first time home buyers class and recently bought a home with my now husband, new baby girl, and two sons.
With all the blessings Family Promise has given me, I want to pass the blessings forward. I now have the opportunity to work as a full time staff member to help other homeless families. Now being in this position, I see what it looks like when someone realizes they are not doomed with poverty forever - we can break the cycle of generational poverty, one family at a time!
I wanted so much to provide a home for my child and be "normal" like everyone else. Well, with a minimum wage salary, no skills, and bills piling up, I ended up back on the streets, this time with two children in tow. Finally, one day I looked at my children and realized I need a major life change and reached out for help to achieve sobriety and permanent housing.
After being accepted in the Family Promise Network, I was brutally honest with the case managers about where I was coming from, but instead of judging me, they accepted me with open arms. After a few weeks, with my immediate housing, food, and transportation handled by the organization, I was able to emotionally relax enough to work on a case plan. In the most loving and direct ways, the program taught me how to successfully start to learn the life skills that were totally foreign to me. Family Promise taught me simple resume skills, budgeting, parenting, strategies, and the ability to believe in myself. The staff encouraged me to explore a different path for my future. After almost two years working with Family Promise, I progressed to a manager position with my job. I also completed a first time home buyers class and recently bought a home with my now husband, new baby girl, and two sons.
With all the blessings Family Promise has given me, I want to pass the blessings forward. I now have the opportunity to work as a full time staff member to help other homeless families. Now being in this position, I see what it looks like when someone realizes they are not doomed with poverty forever - we can break the cycle of generational poverty, one family at a time!
