Jacqueline was exhausted when she arrived at Atlanta Mission. For five years she experienced homelessness, bouncing from motels to staying with friends, sometimes sleeping in the airport or in her car.

She worked at a local university for 14 years, she was a fixture there, she thought she had earned her job security. Then her department was eliminated. She was sure she could get another job, she could prove that she was hardworking and committed. She lived off her retirement savings while she searched for a job, she even found temporary positions to hold her over until finding a new position. A month became a year, and that job never materialized. Her bills overwhelmed her savings and she had to sell her townhouse and ended up homeless.

After losing her job and her home, Jacqueline was exhausted and discouraged. She reached out to Atlanta Mission and met Sherice, one of our ambassadors. Because of Sherice’s friendship, she decided to Choose Help. Within the first few weeks of her time in our Choose Help program, Jacqueline received much-needed shelter, healthy meals, and medical care which included new glasses. With an updated prescription Jacqueline said, “It was a huge blessing. I can see!”

Beyond her physical needs, Jacqueline found immediate relational support, calling Sherice “a dear friend who literally saved me”. With her physical needs met, she began to move past her emergency and into making plans for her everyday life. With her team’s support, Jacqueline made a commitment to work hard for long-term success and is currently making progress towards her personal goals.

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