AGING WITHOUT A HOME
When you picture your golden years, does your vision include living on the streets, hungry, and alone? Sadly, this is the stark reality for a growing number of older adults in California. A recent study found that people over 50 now account for half of unhoused adults and nearly half became homeless for the first time after the age of 50.
For older adults, the trauma of homelessness is often compounded by chronic health conditions and mobility issues, as well as feelings of guilt, embarrassment, and a hesitancy to ask for help. It can be truly life-threatening for disabled, unaccompanied women like Annie, who never imagined that she would be homeless at age 60.
A college educated teacher, Annie was trapped in an abusive marriage, attempted suicide, and ultimately was thrown out onto the street. Sleeping in her car for 18 months, disabled, and alone, she felt that she was not worthy of love or hope. Until she came to WISEPlace.
With a safe place to sleep and compassionate support from WISEPlace, Annie began to heal both mentally and physically. We provided case management, financial empowerment training, goal setting, and the emotional and mental support that had been lacking for most of her life.
“Homelessness can happen to anybody. It transcends ethnicity, economics, and gender. At the blink of an eye, everything can change. I would not be able to thrive the way I am today without all of the support from WISEPlace. – Annie
Our partnerships in the community enabled Annie make her health a priority. While we worked on securing her health insurance, we arranged for a free, mobile medical care unit to see to her immediate healthcare needs, including dental work to remove an infected tooth, an eye exam, and free glasses.
WISEPlace helped Annie find and move into her own senior living apartment in 2021. Your support provided her housing deposit, rental assistance, a new bed, and other essentials. Annie has a part-time job that she can manage with her disability that enables her to maintain independent living. Her experiences with trauma empowered her to become a certified peer support specialist, a suicide gatekeeper with NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness), and a mental health first aider to support others in need.
June 2023 – Where is Annie now?
Today, Annie is still safely housed in the senior living apartment that she moved into two years ago! Always looking for opportunities to grow and learn, Annie is also working toward an additional Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification. She had a hip replacement in 2021 that has thankfully improved her mobility and lessened her pain. She recently recertified as a Peer Support Specialist and is working part-time for a nonprofit that serves those recovering from substance use!
“I was a victim, but now I AM A SURVIVOR. Without you, I would be alone on the streets. You helped me heal and become self-reliant. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!” – Annie
How can you help?
When you support WISEPlace, you provide safe shelter solutions and empowering wrap-around services to unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness. Donate now to provide a caring community for those who call WISEPlace home.
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