Ending the Cycle of Homelessness

“When times were hard, I remind myself of a powerful quote from Nelson Mandela that states “Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” – Ycela

Hello, my name is Ycela and I’m here to share how your support of WISEPlace has helped me end the cycle of poverty for myself and my three beautiful daughters. Trust me, I know that often homelessness seems insurmountable, but I am a survivor that shows there is hope in ending the cycle of homelessness.

When I look at myself now, it’s hard to believe everything that I went through to get to this happy, stable point in my life. My journey has been filled with childhood trauma – trauma that no one should ever have to experience in their lifetime, especially as a child.

I don’t remember a time throughout my childhood that wasn’t filled with violence. I grew up with my parents and three siblings and experienced domestic violence. When I was 13, my abusive father was taken away and we went to live with our grandmother. The years of violence followed by the sudden family separation was so traumatic that I, like so many others, coped by turning to drugs. I was in the eighth grade.

It was the environment I was born into. And I thought it was normal. I thought I didn’t deserve anything better.

I dropped out of high school and got pregnant with my first child when I was just 15 years old. I had my two other daughters over the next several years, all while being actively addicted. It’s not something I’m proud of, but it’s a part of my story. I share it so that anyone else struggling with addiction can know that there IS a way out.

Not being able to provide a stable home, I was denied custody of my children and this was the wakeup call that I needed. I went to rehab and when I was released, I moved back home. Home, the place of my childhood violence. I quickly realized that being in my old stomping grounds was going to lead me back to my former destructive patterns. The environment I was born into was not one that I could survive. I had to leave, but I had NOWHERE else to live, no family and at that point, I had never held a job.

Trust me when I say that without housing and living in your car, everyday life is unmanageable.
Picture trying to sleep, eat, shower, do laundry, dress for a professional job, and commute every day when you are living in your car. It’s overwhelming.

Thankfully, that’s when I found WISEPlace shelter.

WISEPlace offered me the support and accountability that I needed to build a stable life for myself. It sounds so simple but having an experienced case manager provide structure to my day and help me create a plan to reach my goals was something I had never had before. It was life changing. For once I thought I was deserving of a positive future. I felt safe. Within four months, through the WISEPlace program I found a job and started working!

No longer did I have to couch surf, stay in bad relationships, live in my car or be scared on the streets. I worked hard, was promoted several times, but my pay barely increased and apartment rents were so high. I felt trapped, but I had faith in the process. I met with my case manager and counselor weekly. WISEPlace gave me bus passes so I could save on gas money, and a financial advisor to help me work on my budget, repair my credit score, and start a savings plan.

Just when things were going so well, I suffered a setback at work. Due to my lack of a high school diploma, I was demoted to a lower-paying position. I had to show a steady income to get approved for an apartment, so I stayed even though the new job paid much less.

Something positive came out of this experience though – it motivated me to finally get my high school diploma. I knew that I couldn’t move forward in my career without it, so I started taking GED classes all while working full time. WISEPlace even helped set up tutoring for me.

After a few more months at the WISEPlace shelter, my dreams came true in September 2022 and I moved into my own apartment! When I found out I finally had my OWN PLACE, I sat down and cried. I had been working so hard for so long to reach this goal. I couldn’t hold back the tears of joy.

WISEPlace helped me find my new apartment and talked to landlords with me. They walked me through filling out credit and housing applications. Looking for housing is grueling, but it’s easier when you don’t have to do it alone. WISEPlace helped me with my deposit and the first month’s rent to get me started. I felt so supported, like I had a family at WISEPlace.
They thought of every detail to get me started in my own place- things like plates, towels, utensils, cups because I literally had nothing. They even helped me get a new refrigerator! They were the family and support system I needed and helped make my house a home.

And even though I no longer live at the WISEPlace shelter and now live in my own apartment, the WISEPlace staff still cheers me on to this day. They’re just a phone call away whenever I need talk, and I still do counseling. I come back and celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas Day with them. It’s the family and positive support system I never had.

Traumatic experiences shaped the course of my life, and it took all of my strength, perseverance, and support from WISEPlace to help me find myself again. Today, I stand here sober and so grateful for your support and for giving someone like me a second chance at a new beginning- not just for myself but for my beautiful daughters which I am reunited with.

With a lot of hard work, my credit score has gone up 100 points, I am completely out of debt and I LOVE my new job as a full-time patient services representative at a local family health clinic! I am a positive role model for my daughters and I’m so grateful for the helping hand that WISEPlace offered when most would turn their backs.

Thank you for being an HHA member. I am among the over 8,500 women WISEPlace has successfully served. And thanks to YOU, WISEPlace will continue to be a safe haven for women like me rebuilding their lives. Thank you for being a helping hand to get back on our feet again. Your support of WISEPlace saved my life and the lives of thousands of women in our community and for that, I am forever grateful.

Thank you!