Young & Homeless

I was working late at the NP on Saturday and I received a phone call. "Ms. N****, this is Makela*, I need help!"

I asked her what she needed. She explained that she was homeless and she needed a place to stay.

This was a young lady that we hired for our summer work program. I told her that I would come to pick her up. When I got there the couple that had taken her in stated that they were clients of the Homeward Bound program. I told the man that I worked for HB. They said that she could stay there. I told her that I would take her to get something to wear. While taking her to Walmart, the man called and said that it would probably be best if she stayed with me. I guess he figured that since he was already a HB client, he didn't want to get into trouble for having someone stay with him which is against the rules. I told him that would be fine. I took the young girl to Walmart got her some necessities--underwear, socks, deodorant, soap, etc. I also bought an inflatable bed because she needed something to sleep on. I spent about $80. She stayed the night and we went to church the next day. She's been looking for a place to live, but because they haven't gotten paid, it was difficult. She also had some trouble at home and her mom put her out.

This young girl has had a troubled life--foster care, rape, molestation, 2 children and she's only 19, a boyfriend in jail....the cards are stacked against her. So, I just talked to her about giving her life to Christ and how God can heal her heart.

After church on Sunday, we went to the "Celebration," an annual street festival where they block off the entire downtown area. I was quite disappointed when she didn't show up at my place that night. I was also a little worried and I prayed for her safety.

The next day, she didn't show up for work. She didn't call either. Hmmm. Something was wrong. I said another prayer.

I was relieved when she showed up at 1pm, but disappointed at her excuse. "I needed to take my daughter to the doctor in Springfield, but my ride never showed up, so I didn't go." WHAT?? HUH??? She doesn't have custody of her daughter and just because somebody wanted you to ride with them doesn't mean that you need to go. She needed to work and not miss those hours.

So I talked to her about being responsible and how she needed her job. I told her that if she was working anywhere else, they would have fired her, but because i'm her supervisor and I know her situation, I didn't report it.

She said she understood. I also told her that I felt a little taken advantage of because I opened my door to her and spent money on her because she said she didn't have anything, but she didn't feel the need to call me to tell me she wasn't gonna be staying the night at my place. She again said that she understood and apologized.