Many people think that people who become homeless are lazy and don’t work. This, however, is not the case. There are people who become homeless who are working two or three jobs. The “working poor” become homeless because they get paid minimum wage, and often that is not enough to support the basic needs of their families. I want to share with you Betty’s story so you can understand how homelessness can happen to hard working people.
As a young child, Betty began experiencing emotional and mental abuse by her parents. Her dad told her she was good for nothing, stupid, a waste of space. Her mother was always criticizing her and putting her down. Her parents were not supportive or encouraging when it came to going to school or doing homework. Betty grew up hearing her family say negative things about her, and as a result she believed that she would never become anyone special and she would not have a positive impact on the world.
Betty started working at a fast food restaurant as a cashier when she was in high school. She made friends at work. People liked her. She was good at her job. After a few years, Betty was promoted to Manager and she was so excited. For once, she found something she was good at. She was a great supervisor and her employees liked her!
Unfortunately, Betty only made $6 an hour as a Manager. Though she was working almost 50 hours a week the money she was bringing home was not enough to support herself and her two children. She could barely afford to put a roof over their heads and place food on the table. Soon, Betty found herself and her two children homeless.
When Betty came to Colorado Homeless Families she was told that as a condition of being in our program she would have to go back to school, get a degree and/or job skill so she could become more equipped to support herself and her two girls. Betty began to feel hopeless and couldn't stop thinking about all of the negative things her parents had always told her----how she wouldn’t amount to anything, that she was useless and stupid. Betty didn’t think she could go to school. She argued with me telling me she wasn’t going to comply, yet I told her that she had to if she wanted to live in the CHF program.
Soon, Betty enrolled in Denver Opportunity Medical Assistant Program. She loved school, and despite everything her parents had always told her, she was a great student. She was amazed at how well she was doing and she was surprised at how much she loved it! She got straight A’s in all of her classes during the 9 month program. When she graduated, she thought she would never find a job as a medical technician. She became depressed. Again, she began thinking about everything negative her parents had always told her and it was hard for her to think of herself as a useful and productive person.
Betty needed ongoing counseling and a supportive environment to help her overcome the emotional abuse she had experienced as a child that had left her scarred. She needed a very affirmative, encouraging, and positive voice to overcome the negative thoughts that had been instilled in her from her past. Over the two years she lived at CHF, Betty was able to reprogram her mind and realize that she was a valuable person and had skills and talents to share with others. Despite her doubts, she was hired and received double the pay of her past job. She is enjoying her life more and can now provide for herself and her children.
Metro Denver area (7 counties) and to help them become self-sufficient within 18 months to two years.