Meet Samantha

I loved my life. My kids, my husband, my home. We were just scraping by each month, but I knew that we had it better than a lot of other families in St. Catharines. And, I had my family – that was enough.

Then, I lost my job. At $16 an hour, it was the difference between paying the bills and falling behind, so we fell behind. When the bills started to pile up on the kitchen table, the stress consumed our lives. All my husband and I did was fight about money, rent, car payments. Our teenage sons we miserable listening to us fight, and our marriage was no longer a happy one.

When my husband left, I had never felt stress like that before. I knew an eviction was coming after months of missed rent. So, when a friend offered me something to take the edge off, I agreed. When the high wore off and I became stressed all over again, I took some more. Meanwhile, my kids’ grades were slipping and I wouldn’t see them for days on end. I didn’t even notice…

The eviction came and we were forced to leave our home… but where could we go?

I learned about the YW and their emergency homeless shelter. I was scared of homelessness, ashamed that I let my life – my kids’ lives – spiral out of control so far. But when I called the Family Shelter Worker, she spoke to me without judgment. We were given an apartment to stay in while I worked on a more permanent solution, but now I was battling homelessness and drug addiction.

While in the shelter, I attended WARM and other life skills workshops to better manage my mental health. I could really feel the pieces of my life coming back together. I graduated from a community addictions program and got on the list for therapy and permanent housing. When a spot opened up in the YW’s Off-Site Transitional Housing (OTH) Program, my worker said my family would be the perfect fit.

That night, I sat my sons down and I told them today was the day they could finally feel stable again. We were going to have a home again. They are the most important thing in my life, but in the chaos of the stress and drugs, I lost sight of that.

Our OTH worker showed us our new home and worked with me to set goals for our family. Only a month into the program and I am already meeting my milestones: Get my kids back to class. Check. Manage my addiction. Check. Now, I’m working on bringing financial stability back into our lives and searching for a family doctor to make sure we all have our health for a long, long time.

These have been the longest months of my life and asking for help was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. But, I don’t regret it for a second. Please, if you ever find yourself in my position, take advantage of the different resources that are available to you while you’re here. Don’t be scared. It’s okay to be seen, to ask for help. If you’re honest about everything, you will get the help that you need to get and you’ll be able to be a stronger person for you and for your family. There is always HOPE.

Samantha and her family’s success was made possible by donors like you. In her darkest times, you said “I’m here for you. I believe in you. Together, there is hope.” Now, as Samantha’s family moves towards stability, other families in Niagara need your help. Dozens of women and their children as just starting their housing journey, seeking supportive housing to help them get back on their feet. If you have the means, please consider donating or becoming a monthly donor to give stability to families in Niagara.