a safe home for the holidays: nicole and ella’s journey out of homelessness

Facing winter outside

When Nicole, a single mother living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), lost her home, she felt the ground shift beneath her. MS can be unpredictable—bringing fatigue, cognitive challenges, and flare-ups that make daily life difficult, let alone maintaining steady employment. As her symptoms worsened, her hours at work decreased. Paychecks became inconsistent, and she started to slip behind on her rent and bills.

Eventually, Nicole and her young daughter, Ella, had to leave their home and had nowhere left to go.

With cold weather settling over the region, their car became their only shelter. Nicole lay awake at night, terrified of the cold creeping in through the windows and what it might mean for her daughter. Even temperatures in the 40s can be dangerous for little ones sleeping in cars—especially when wet weather makes clothes, bedding, and car interiors damp.

Finding Hope in a Moment of Crisis

Everything changed when Nicole connected with our Mobile Outreach team. They met her in the parking lot where she and Ella were staying and listened to her story, learned about her health needs, and immediately provided Nicole and Ella with warm blankets, diapers, and protein snacks.

Our team got to work helping Nicole find housing, and together they located an accessible, safe apartment that could support Nicole’s illness and give Ella room to grow. But moving into housing comes with high upfront costs—deposits, fees, and essentials for a new space.

Thanks to our community’s generosity, we were able to help Nicole resolve her rental debt from her previous apartment and cover the deposit and move-in expenses, ensuring Nicole and Ella could move out of the cold quickly and safely.

For the first time in months, they opened the door to a home of their own—just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday!

A New Beginning

Since moving into their new place, Nicole has found a full-time job that provides better pay and accommodates her health needs. She’s building stability—not just for herself, but for Ella’s future. Their new home is a foundation for healing, growth, and hope.