Homelessness had long been a harsh reality for Bethany, her son Aiden, and her mother, Julie. Before the three of them arrived at Samaritan House Greeley, they lived at two Catholic Charities’ shelters in Denver. Bethany and Aiden first lived at Marisol Homes, a safe spot for women and young children in the Denver metro area and then, in a desire to reunite with Julie, were connected to Samaritan House Denver where the three of them lived together in family housing.
Statistics show that the longer a child experiences homelessness before reaching 18, the more likely they are to struggle with homelessness as an adult. This reality – and the desire to build a better future for Aiden – led Bethany and Julie directly to Samaritan House Greeley.
There, they were able to enter the shelter’s unique Extended Stay Program. Their case manager, Cindy Powers, dug into the root cause of their homelessness. For the two women, their lack of steady employment meant they had no stable place to call home. Cindy discovered that their rocky past and constant couch surfing left them feeling disheartened and frustrated, discouraged and unable to find or keep employment.
Cindy connected them with a local community partner, North Range Behavioral Health, which provided counseling sessions for the entire family. They worked individually and together to encourage one another to be the best version of themselves. They began to see themselves in a positive light for the first time and they began to have hope for what their lives could be.
With this new outlook on life, they imagined a brighter future: a home with their own beds, clothes in their closets and evenings gathered around a table with freshly baked cookies – Aiden’s favorite daydream. With each new paycheck, they watched their bank accounts grow and could feel their dreams becoming reality.
Once the time came to look for apartments, the family knew their hard work was paying off. They could practically smell the chocolate chip cookies as they saw their new lives unfold. Cindy found an apartment that was the perfect fit for the family and, before they knew it, move-in day arrived.
They set up new furniture and Bethany reported that the first night in their new home was “the best night of sleep she’s had in a long time.” Even though they’ve left Samaritan House Greeley, Cindy continues to work with the family. Their primary goals now are to remain stable long-term, keep their jobs and – someday – move into an even bigger place. Above all, the long history of homelessness is being broken for little Aiden, and Cindy – and the mother and grandmother who love him – are thrilled to see it.
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