Meet Samantha: How together we help her feel “home”
Samantha is 29 years old and has two young children – Max and Ava. Max is in kindergarten, and his little sister Ava is three years old. When we met Samantha, she had just fled domestic violence and was forced to leave her South Fargo home with her toddler Ava and a child just starting school – her son Max. She and her children were homeless.
When people like Samantha move into an apartment after experiencing homelessness, it’s an exciting time, yet the thought of making it a home can be very overwhelming. Moving in with very few personal belongings can make the space of an apartment feel empty and often these families can’t afford the things they need to create a home for themselves and their family.
That’s where the Home for Good project comes in. On any given night, around 1,000 people living in Cass and Clay counties experience homelessness, including approximately 200 children. For the past 5 years, Bremer Bank has teamed up with United Way to provide hundreds of Home for Good kits to local people transitioning out of homelessness into a new home. Each Welcome Home kit contains dining and kitchen utensils, dishwashing and home cleaning materials, personal hygiene items, and bedroom essentials.
It was a sunny spring day the day Samantha moved into her apartment, and her two kids ran up the sidewalk with excitement as they entered the apartment lobby. Ava and Max followed their mom as Samantha carried the Home for Good kit through the door of their new apartment.
She set the kit down in the middle of her small, empty living room and opened the lid. Carefully, she slowly took out each new item and held it in her hands, admiring each thing – the dishes, silverware, cups, laundry soap, kitchen utensils, and the soft, new hand towels. Her kids stood behind her and were so excited to see what was in the kit. The tears began to flow as Samantha looked up at me and said, “It’s all brand new!”
There was so much emotion and some disbelief too. She said, “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe all this is for me, for us.” Her kids were giddy with excitement and hugged their mom as more tears flowed.
The Home for Good kits, filled with entirely new and fresh items for a home, show women, kids – all people – that they are worthy. It helps them believe that they are a part of a community who cares. Home for Good kits convey dignity. Each kit carries a sense of joy, knowing that someone thoughtfully chose each item with care so someone like Samantha and her kids could have a better future.
The impact of the Home for Good kits goes beyond those receiving them – it also impacts the many caring housing advocates and social workers who are helping people like Samantha find a path forward. When they are able to have a Home for Good kit to provide to someone moving into their new home, there is so much gratitude from the team member walking alongside them on this journey. It’s an uplifting feeling to know that we are not alone, and that people care about our neighbors in our community who are experiencing homelessness.
United is the way that we can help our neighbors, and we are honored to work side by side with you to end poverty and improve lives. Thank you for uniting with us to help our neighbors together.
Watch a video of a Home for Good kit’s journey, thanks to volunteers from Bremer Bank.
Learn more about United Way of Cass-Clays work to prevent homelessness and provide hope to families experiencing homelessness here.