My name is Angela and I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be able to share my story with you.
Your generosity has given me a gift I never thought was possible. You see, before I came to N Street Village, I was living on porches and streets.
When I walked through the Village doors, I left behind a life of drugs, addiction, violence, and homelessness that started when my father died. As his primary caretaker, I’d given up my job to help him. When he passed, my family took everything. I was homeless and alone.
A mental health advocate found me sleeping at a bus station and told me about N Street Village’s emergency shelter. She drove me there herself, and I was able to get a bed that night!
I started going to the Village Day Center, where I was able to get warm winter clothes, good meals, and connect with the staff and other clients. Hearing the stories from the community showed me that I was not alone in what I was going through. I started to feel motivated and truly believe I could do this!
It took time, but I slowly started to feel like myself again.
I worked hard at my recovery for nine months in the shelter. I had a great housing specialist who helped me get connected to permanent housing at the Village.
Today, I’m the one who shares my story with the women in the Day Center. I tell them, “Stay strong, don’t give up on yourself. Get involved. Stay positive, stay motivated!”
I know it is possible because I’ve been there, and I know what it takes.
