The Vine - Summer/Fall 2012

by VMP Staff |  August 31, 2012

A legacy of hope

Vine Maple Place’s 100th homeless family moves forward after tragedy

 Vine Maple Place reached a milestone this summer when we welcomed our 100th resident, Hannah, and her children. Her story embodies the stories of many of the residents who have come before her.

    Her journey to homelessness began in an abusive marriage. “I kept going back into the situation, trying to keep my family together, thinking he would change”, she said.

    Tragically, one night while she was working, her husband assaulted their 4 month old baby daughter. With that incident, life changed dramatically for Hannah.

    Her daughter was on life-support in ICU at Children’s Hospital with severe and irreversible brain damage. Hannah permanently moved out of the home she shared with her husband. She lived at the hospital with her daughter while her son stayed with family. After her child’s eventual release from the hospital, Hannah and her children ’couch-surfed’ with family members for 2 years, moving at least four times during that period.

     "I was in a very low place and could see no way out. I was devastated and blamed myself for my daughter being hurt", she says of that time.

   Filled with so many deep and painful emotions, Hannah’s situation was extremely difficult. She was left to pick up the pieces of her life while her now ex-husband sat in jail. For her the worst part was seeing her once healthy daughter suffer every day, but none of it was easy. “My kids were affected the most and our family was broken. I was a divorced, single mom with two kids  - one disabled  - with no job, no home, and stuck”.

    After two years of instability, Hannah was desperate to get her life back. She felt a deep need to start over, get stable, and start living again. Being accepted into the program at Vine Maple Place brought profound relief and an unaccustomed feeling of hope.

    “I was overwhelmed with happiness when my children and I were accepted into the program. We have a beautiful home and great support here.”

    There is long road of recovery ahead for Hannah and her family, but she is already taking steps to begin healing. Now that she has a safe place to live, she has been able to begin processing and grieving all that has happened. At Vine Maple Place, she’ll have the support she needs to move forward.