Tracey and her young daughter entered the country as Swiss citizens. Tracey wed and had a son. Shortly after wedding, she was forced to leave her husband due to domestic violence and found herself homeless, without and means of financial support. A language barrier and a lack of citizenship was a huge deterrent in gaining employment. Tracey found herself entering Hope House with two small children. When her husband learned that she had entered Hope House, he petitioned the courts and won custody of their son. The judge ruled that the father, being in a stable environment was the most suitable parent.
Tracey quickly acclimated to the program and began working toward gaining citizenship and her dreams of homeownership. While a resident of the Hope House, she saved aggressively. She attended all the required life skill classes, including but not limited to, homeownership courses provided by Keller Williams Realty Agents- Team VA, Countrywide Agent Representative, and helpful staff at VHDA. In addition Tracey worked tirelessly alongside her immigration attorney to obtain her green card. After many months she and her daughter received permanent residency. Within weeks of she gained full-time employment. After several attempts, due to the language barrier, she was able to obtain her driver’s license. Once she had her license, Hope House provided a donated vehicle.
During the holiday season, Hope House families are adopted by individuals and businesses throughout the Fredericksburg community. Staff at the Mercedes-Benz-Volvo adopted Tracey and her family. There was a collaborative community effort to make her dreams a reality. A drive was held to help fill her new home with furniture and appliances.
In 2009, Tracey and her children became open the doors to their new home. Tracey was now a homeowner. Her one remaining goal was to regain custody of her son. As a permanent resident of the United States and no longer homeless, Tracey was hopeful that that this dream would now become a reality. Hope House continues to follow the family and support Tracey in her endeavors.
Tracey was the first resident of Hope House to move directly from our facility into her own home. She continues to be a shining example of what is possible with hard work, perseverance, and the opportunity to succeed.