Live Week: Heidi’s Story

Hello KCB blog readers..

It's “Live” Week and we're talking about what it means to press on when life tries to knock you out. The housing team recently sat down with Heidi.. a neighbor who came through our doors thanks to a referral from the City of Norwalk when she was days from eviction. Heidi stated, “I could not make my rent and was days from eviction.” But when you rewind a bit.. this didn't come out of nowhere. Heidi spent three months in the hospital with her daughter (who nearly died in a terrible accident). Then another month in acute care. Then home, caring for her full-time. During all that, someone somehow changed her birthday with Social Security.. she couldn't get a duplicate card without a birth certificate from another state, which took five months to arrive.

No income since July. All her savings were gone. And she was staring down homelessness for herself, her dog, and her cat for the first time.. and the mere thought of having to give them up broke her.

But then.. she walked into KCB with a stack of documents, hands shaking, and heard the words she needed most: We can help you. “I started to cry,” she said. “I thought me and my dog and cat would be homeless and I'd have to give them up. Knowing we were gonna be okay.. I felt a feeling of relief.” That moment was the turning point for her. Stable housing gave her back her peace. “It helps to not have anxiety and feel sick and nervous,” she shared. “I know I have a place to sleep at night.”

Heidi didn't need a bunch of extra services in that moment.. she was laser-focused on survival. But she ended up getting a lot more than she anticipated. She got someone to listen. Someone to pray with her. Someone to see her. “It meant a lot to me because I was going through so much,” she said. “For them to let me share my story and have someone hear me and understand.. and even pray with me.. was a blessing.”

The team held space for her pain, her fear, and her faith. And when she got the emergency call about her daughter’s C-section and the birth of her new grandson.. KCB staff was still there calming her down, praying her through it, and reassuring her that the rent would be handled.

Now.. with a home to come back to.. Heidi’s focused on what matters most: healing with her daughter, caring for her grandson, and waiting on that Social Security appointment. “Knowing I didn’t lose my home,” she said, “I can focus on helping my daughter and keep taking care of her and my new grandson.” And when asked what “live” means to her now? Heidi said:

“Live means breathe and take in every special moment.. to show more kindness to everyone. To always remember that there are people who care.. and live means to take every moment God has given me with a smile and share blessings anytime I can, big or small.”

That’s the type of language you hear when someone was drowning but found hope. That’s the fruit of a community saying “We got you.”

Heidi’s got some wisdom for anyone out there scared to reach out as well: “It’s okay to be scared and worried and ask for help. There are good people who are willing to help and listen.”

And to the donors and partners making this possible, she says, “Thank you.. for giving me back hope that it will be okay and there are good people who are there to help.”

With the way life has gone recently, these programs matter more than ever. Rent’s through the roof.. wages for sure aren’t keeping up.. and life keeps throwing curveballs that can wipe you out in the blink of an eye. But because of programs like this and people like you reading this right now and choosing to help, Heidi gets to wake up without that feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She gets to hold her grandson in a safe place. She gets to live.

“The whole team made me feel like family” she said. “They helped me see the bigger picture.”

And that my friends is what “Live” week is all about..

So let’s keep Heidi and her family in our prayers.. for her daughter’s recovery, for that Social Security breakthrough, for peace that sticks. Pray for every partner and donor keeping these doors open. Your support is the difference between panic and peace for a lot of people! So if you’re looking to help us help others like Heidi, jump over to our giving page and help keep that hope going. Or you can click here.

Heidi.. we see you. We’re thanking God with you. And we’re believing for every good thing ahead.

Until next time..