Women of Options: Gamechangers

SHARON’S STORY

Help On A Cold November Afternoon

Safety and hope for a new mom

I t was a cold Friday afternoon in November when Nichole received a call from a public health nurse. A new mom, Sharon, was in need of support. Could Options help? “Of course!” came the answer. Nichole reached out to Sharon, arranged for her to receive a Christmas hamper, and set up an appointment for the following Monday morning. During their appointment, Sharon told Nichole that she had been looking for a basement suite or an apartment, but had been turned down everywhere she looked. Finally, desperate to find shelter for her baby and herself, Sharon spent her last $1,800 to rent a motel unit in a sketchy part of town. The $1,800 bought her 30 days of shelter for her and her baby. After that, she would be homeless. Nichole knew that the motel was an unsafe environment for a young mother and her baby. In addition to the usual dangers, the motel was being used to house people with COVID.

Sharon also confided that she had been subject to intimate partner violence. As a result, Nichole started the referral process to have Sharon and

her baby admitted to the safety of one of the Options’ transition houses. Options staff was able to support Sharon with $1,800 through the use of its discretionary funds to give her a much needed hand up. With the security of the transition house available to her and the help of $1,800 for a deposit and moving expenses, Sharon was able to take the time she needed to find appropriate, sustainable housing for herself and her daughter. Today, Sharon and her baby have their own place in subsidized housing offered by Options. She is currently a full time student studying for a career in early childhood education. Based on research outlined in a 2016 report commissioned by the Surrey Poverty Reduction Coalition*, most British Columbian parents

4

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs