Rena and her 12 year old daughter arrived in Fredericksburg to help a relative with a sick child and she felt that her family needed a change. Within six months of arriving in the relative decided to get married. Rena and her daughter soon had no place to call home. She worked for the city government for 15 years before becoming disabled and moving to Fredericksburg so she decided to remain in Virginia. She felt the community and environment would be better for her family.
Rena and her daughter lived in emergency shelter for a month before coming to Hope House. The family settled into Hope House seamlessly and flourished. In addition to receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), she found a part-time job. She saved money and her daughter did well in school. As the family was about to exit Hope House, the unfortunate happened. The business she worked for closed its doors. Although she was very disappointed, she saved quite a bit and her SSDI was enough to cover the family’s rent. She and her daughter moved into a two bedroom apartment in Spotsylvania. Hope House helped pay the family’s first month’s rent, security deposit and donated furniture and a car toward the success of the family.
We recently heard great news from Rena. The family lived in Fredericksburg for two years before returning to Pennsylvania. She was able to find a job with a hospital system. Her daughter graduated High School and is in community college. She states that “Hope House staff is now and will forever be a part of her family.”