Makayla's Story
(name changed for privacy)
Makayla was a happily married wife and mother to 6 children. Everything seemed to be going great for them, a stable home, all of their needs and many of their wants met. At least until she found herself in the middle of a divorce.
This was devastating for Makayla and their children, as they lost their home and most of everything they had worked hard for. Due to the lack of housing options, she decided to take her children and move into her mom's house. For a while, things seemed to be ok. They had their needs met and Makayla was able to go to work each day to maintain the income they lived on. The thing is, she is a full-time healthcare worker, she is a frontline hero, but when COVID-19 hit, her immune-compromised mother could no longer keep Makayla and her kids in her home for fear of succumbing to the virus. For 4 weeks, Makayla and the children lived in a hotel using some financial help from her mother's work to help cover the cost, but the funds ran out and they faced only a few options;
1. Go to the shelter and lose her job, or
2. Stay in their van until they were able to figure something else out.
Makayla contacted United Way of the Lakeshore as a last resort. Currently, Community enCompass is working with the family to place them in rapid rehousing, however, this could take some time before they are able to secure a safe and affordable home for her family due to the limited supply of housing available. Until another option is found, United Way of the Lakeshore has decided to place this family in a safe emergency shelter where she is not at risk of losing her job, but also where her children are able to continue in their virtual schooling during the day.
Makayla and her children were also just adopted through the Adopt a Working Family program to help provide them with food and gifts for Christmas. With everything Makayla has gone through, she is proven to be an overcomer. She has not taken the easy way out but instead sacrifices every day going to work to help save lives. She is determined and driven to rebuild what has been lost, to provide a safe and secure home for her kids, and to do so while showing them a valuable lesson; Don’t give up when things feel hopeless, don’t take the easy road. Instead, work hard towards your goals and never be too proud to ask your community for a hand up if you need it.
