Impact Story: Gladys & Her 7-Year Son

Gladys, 26, beams with pride as she and her 7-year-old son stand on the porch of her first permanent affordable rental home.

“At first, this didn’t feel real to me. It feels great to have my own home. I’m sleeping better and have less stress in my life.”

In March 2022, Gladys graduated from the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County’s Transitional Housing Program.

Her success is a culmination of housing stability, hard work, and determination to meet goals mutually established with her Homeless Coalition case manager.

Meeting Her Need for Safe & Stable Housing

Gladys moved to St. Johns County from Massachusetts with the ambition to give her young son a better life.

For months, she and her son resided in a home of a person she knew.

However, that situation became unstable, and Gladys quickly sought a solution to her housing crisis. Her son’s school recommended they contact the St. Francis Housing Crisis Center.

After staying at the crisis center for 1 and a half months, St. Johns Care Connect+ referred Gladys and her son to the Homeless Coalition to help stabilize their housing situation.

The Homeless Coalition moved Gladys and her son into a furnished, small transitional living cottage on their 5-acre campus in West Augustine.

This move into stable and safe housing helped to relieve Gladys of the emotional and mental pressures she’d experienced during her housing crisis.

It also gave her a solid foundation she could use to move forward in her life.

Attaining Resilience & Economic Mobility

Through the Homeless Coalition Supportive Services, her case manager took an assessment of Gladys’ situation.

Both Gladys and her case manager put together a plan to help build up her resiliency to improve and maintain her financial situation and eventually move into permanent housing.

Meeting weekly with her case manager, Gladys started to check off her goals.

Finding that her $11 an hour job was inadequate, she searched for a job that paid more. With the help of her case manager on resume writing, Gladys found a job with a local cleaning service.

Within 3 months, Gladys received 2 raises.

“I love my job and I love my boss. She’s helped and encouraged me to keep moving forward.”

The Homeless Coalition also helped her son maintain his education aims through tutoring and reading assistance.

With the new job and making consistent affordable housing payments, Gladys was able to establish a positive credit history and financial stability she could use to move forward into permanent rental housing.

Realizing Permanent Housing

In March 2022, Gladys and her son achieved a major goal by moving into affordable permanent rental housing located on the Homeless Coalition Campus.

“Since she arrived, we’ve watched Gladys work hard to establish a brighter future for her and her son. She used all the resources we made available to her. She’s been an inspiration for many of our residents,” said Freedom, Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County Case Manager.

Moving Forward

Now that she feels more stable and secure with her life in St. Johns County, Gladys and her son have ambitious plans.

She’s currently working to obtain her Florida Driver’s License and purchase a car.

Her son wants to play football and get into martial arts.

She eventually wants to open a clothing boutique business and purchase her own home.

“I’ve shared my story with other Homeless Coalition residents. If you work hard, the program pays off. The Homeless Coalition does what it can, but to be successful, you must do your part. It’s not easy. But it’s worth it!”