Shirley – HPC Adult Housing Success

Shirley and her son joined our program in March 2024.

Originally from Africa, Shirley faced the devastation of war in 2020 when gunfire and bombings suddenly erupted during a training session for her job. Forced to evacuate, Shirley made the brave decision to leave behind the war and poverty in search of a better life for herself and her son. In 2020, she packed up their belongings and moved to the United States, determined to build a brighter future.

When Shirley first entered HPC, she shared that she had hoped for strong support from her family living in the U.S. However, she soon realized that they didn’t share her drive to improve her life. When she expressed her desire to pursue education and better opportunities, they questioned her ambitions. Undeterred, she took matters into her own hands.

Shirley was accepted into our program at HPC and the day she moved into her apartment was a heartfelt moment. As she walked through the space, she described herself as overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. When she reached her son’s room, she noticed a toy kitchen left behind by the previous participant. Overcome with emotion, she fell to her knees and asked, “How did you know?” Her case manager, puzzled, asked, “Know what?” Shirley explained that her son had been begging for a toy kitchen, and in that moment, God had provided exactly what they needed. Shirley enrolled in driving lessons, earned her driver’s license, and bought a car.

Now, Shirley’s son is just as active and determined as his mother. Going into second grade, he plays soccer and basketball, takes drum and piano lessons, and practices taekwondo. Shirley, despite working two jobs in healthcare, ensures his participation in all these activities.

Through hard work and determination, Shirley has paid off over $3,000 in debt and is now completely debt-free. Shirley left HPC with a healthy savings account, positioning herself and her son for a stable and secure future.

At HPC Graduation, Shirley shared her heartfelt thanks, saying, “I just want to thank Hillcrest and everyone here because I’ve learned a lot. The food—I didn’t know I could eat it because in Africa we didn’t eat most of the food. Here, I ate food, met new people, shared ideas. With the life skills, I’ve been able to express myself a little bit. I was so quiet. I’ve learned the cleaning and everything is good. It makes things just easy. I’m happy because it was so stressful. Since I came in, I’ve been able to decide for myself what I want to do and how to move forward. I’ve gotten a new family. I’m so grateful. I used to not know what we were going to eat. I’m so grateful, thank you so much.”