Allyssa’s Story: Artist, Adventurer, Mom

“ShelterCare has kept me on track with my goals. They constantly check in on me and ask what I need help doing in order to get to where I want to be and, without that structure, I’d be completely lost right now,” says Allyssa, ShelterCare program participant. Allyssa became housed when she was brought into ShelterCare’s Supported Rental Assistance – Young Adult (SRA-YA) program, seven years ago, and has remained stably housed ever since. SRA-YA is permanent housing, for people who have a severe mental illness and are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including supportive services to help maintain that housing and increase independence.

The support of Allyssa’s Case Managers has made a big difference for her, when it comes to housing and stability, “I wasn’t in the right headspace to hold down a job, I was never taught the skills I needed to be able to do something like that,” she explained, “my parents and I were in and out of homelessness as a child, so I didn’t really know what to do because I never was modeled that.” 

When Allyssa was initially connected to ShelterCare, she was just 20 years old and stuck in a situation she didn’t know how to get out of, “Before ShelterCare, I was a heavy drug addict and I didn’t really care about myself or where my life was headed…I was with a very abusive ex who never let me do anything to better our situation,” she explained.

Allyssa knew she wanted more for herself, but wasn’t sure where to turn, “I know I am meant to do more than just being miserable all the time,” she says, “I was homeless and was going to Hosea Youth Services. She (her Case Manager) told me to fill the papers out just for me. She sent those directly to ShelterCare after I filled them out because she wanted me to get away from my ex-boyfriend, which was a really good thing.” Allyssa was then brought into ShelterCare’s SRA-YA program, thus securing housing and safety for herself.

“Since having stable housing, I’ve been able to really get to know myself,” Allyssa says. She has had the time and space to explore her love of art, “I kind of do a little bit of everything honestly, but my favorite is definitely tie-dyeing. I love upscaling all my stuff at home, making it look cooler. I painted a shelf for my oldest that was ocean-themed!”

Allyssa has three kids, “my oldest just turned four on Sunday. He has bright red hair and is full of life and curious about everything,” she says, “his little brother is two and has dark red hair. He’s my chill, laid-back kid and just goes with the flow. I just had my daughter who has dark hair and is almost six months old.”

Allyssa’s favorite way to spend her time is by going on adventures with her kids, “we love going and checking out new places,” she says, “we are super excited to move to the beach because that’s one of our favorite places to go.” Allyssa just signed a new lease on the coast and is excited about this new adventure with her family.

Having stable housing has allowed Allyssa to create a secure environment for, not just herself, but also her kids, “I don’t have to worry about my kids and I being homeless and I’ve been able to focus on them and watch them thrive and it’s been amazing,” she explains, “we go on a walk every day, even if it’s raining. We have a cover for the stroller, so baby sister comes with us.” 

Allyssa is excited about what her future holds, “my kids are getting older to where I will have a bit more free time, and I’d really love to work with animals. I’ve always wanted to, ever since I was little,” she says, “I feel like I’m almost ready to go out on my own because they’ve (ShelterCare) helped me build the skills I need in order to get to where I am today, which feels really good.”

You can make a difference in lives like Allyssa’s. Support from a Case Manager and a stable place to live have changed both her and her children’s lives forever. Your donation will help us house more families and individuals before the next holiday season and continue moving our program participants forward in personal growth. Will you donate today to support ShelterCare’s work of providing housing and support services to chronically homeless families?