NSV Radio: Peggy & Candice's Story

Paula

Paula arrived at N Street Village in 2016, carrying everything she owned in three bags and towing years of bitterness, anger, and despair.

Paula had a successful career for 16 years, a husband, and two sons. Then she got the call from her sister – her father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and needed help. She uprooted her family, left everything behind, and came back to her childhood home in D.C. to care for her dad. A few years after moving her husband passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Four months later, her father died.

Misty

Like many people in this area, Misty moved to DC for an exciting job opportunity. After moving across country, she didn’t know many people. She soon felt isolated and turned to alcohol for the first time in her life. Things spiraled quickly for Misty – she lost her job and, unable to find a new position, she found herself homeless.

Rebecca

Rebecca was born HIV-positive with so many drugs in her systems that doctors told her she should have died.

“They told me I was a miracle baby. But for a long time, my life didn’t feel like a miracle.”

Rebecca was taken away from her mom and placed into the foster care system, where she was in and out of different homes until she was adopted by a single mom. In her new home, life was good for a short time. Then, her foster mom got remarried. Her new husband was a heavy drinker and quickly turned violent and abusive.