On June 1, we opened the doors to 127 families at our new North Church Court location. Andrea has gone from barely being able to afford a hotel room, and living out of her suitcase, to now having a beautiful apartment. The opening of our new location has finally given Andrea and her newborn son the ability to grow together, and call North Church Court home.
Before I came to Bethlehem, I was a few months pregnant, living in a motel out of a suitcase with my belongings. During those days I met some wonderful people who extended their help and connected me to services in the community. When I was connected with Bethlehem Housing I was relieved to be able to receive services in Spanish. I met my Community Support Worker Mayra and everything changed – it was as if someone sent a fairy godmother to me.
In March 2019, I gave birth to my son and began my journey towards motherhood. A month later, I moved into a safe apartment at Bethlehem Place with my newborn son. I was provided with the opportunity to prioritize my health and parenting. Concerned about where I would live after my one year residency, I took a chance and applied for permanent housing at the new North Church Court building. I was delighted when I received an offer! I recently moved in and am in awe of how beautifully designed my apartment is. I was so excited to move and within days I set up my furniture and décor … I’ve made it our forever home.
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of Bethlehem’s donors and supporters, who make it possible to provide caring support and housing for those who are in the most need. I went from living out of a suitcase, barely able to afford a room in a motel, to now having permanent housing, furniture and everything I could possibly need for my son. Best of all, we can live a peaceful life and I can work towards reaching my goals.
Our supporters have cared for our families and helped us to build safe affordable housing to get us to where we are today. Your support is essential to us being able to serve and support an even greater number of families and individuals like Andrea.