Rose says she โis living her best life right life now.โ She recently moved from the Helen Wright Center for Women to an apartment. Sheโs proud to show off some furnishings she received from Urban Ministries of Wake Countyโs community partner, The Green Chair Project.
The road home wasnโt easy for Rose. For a few years now, sheโs been back and forth between Raleigh and Baltimore. Though, she says she knew going back to Baltimore was a mistake each time. At the Helen Wright Center, she was able to work, save money and find a place of her own.
This time around, she used her time in the long-term case management program wisely. She went to a counseling group, she got her certification to be a cook and she was working.
โYou have to use the resources and network during the day when youโre not at the shelter,โ Rose says.
She said it was that networking and the money sheโd saved in the case management program that allowed her to jump an apartment the minute she heard it was open.
Now that Rose has stable and safe housing, she would really like to give back to other women experiencing homelessness. She wants to come back to the shelter to give talks on things like time management, self-awareness and breaking cycles. She wants to inspire the women to make the most of the resources available to them.
Rose is one of 800 women single, adult women who seek shelter for a variety of reasons each year in Wake County.
The Helen Wright Center for women sheltered 425 women last fiscal year and many more are expected this year with the opening of a new 73-bed shelter this summer.
Urban Ministries of Wake County offers the women at the Helen Wright Center the most basic of needs: shelter, a change of clothing and some meals, which are currently provided by volunteer groups. We also offer the ones who choose to continue in our long-term program, a path toward home. 68 women last fiscal year left with a signed lease. Our caseworkers work to find creative solutions for affordable housing.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we offered the women 24-hour shelter, 3 meals a day, help with unemployment assistance and more. Some of the women were able to move into a healthy hotel program set up by Wake County during the outbreak. Our volunteers and donors answered the call for more food and more donations when we needed them.
We still have a need for meals and increased operating costs when this new shelter opens June 1, 2020. This is an essential and vital service to our community โ in a crisis and beyond.
