When it rains, it pours.

Within a year’s time, everything seemed to unravel in Demishia and her daughter Kira’s life. Demishia was going through a rough marital separation. Her ex-husband was on drugs. They were evicted from their apartment. She received news that she had double kidney failure, which came as a shock because she had no prior health complications. She had to quit her job of six years. They ended up in a local shelter for 14 months. Not to mention the pandemic was spreading.

Many people would throw in the towel, but not Demishia. She persevered.

“I just did. The Man upstairs. Just through prayer. Just making it day by day. Thinking positive. I never had thoughts of giving up,” Demishia said.

They came to SVDP at a time when they needed stability, safety, and support. Since fall 2020, Demishia and Kira have lived in one of our permanent supportive apartments on our Shelby Park campus.

“You all do a lot of great things for people to start a new life,” Demishia added. “I feel like I started a new life when I came to St. Vincent de Paul because if I went somewhere else, I probably wouldn’t have a
chance.”

They live at East and West Family Apartments, which serve homeless families and have 6 two-bedroom and 4 three-bedroom apartments each. These are permanent supportive housing units in which housing assistance, such as long-term leasing or rental assistance, and supportive services are provided to assist a houseless person with a disability in achieving housing stability.

Their two-bedroom apartment is affordable, and utilities are included in rent. Demishia is less stressed financially and doesn’t have to “worry about being broke.”

“We love it here. There’s a lot of help here,” she said. “I’m not sure where I’d be without St. Vincent de Paul. I’m happy and blessed.”

Demishia and Kira access meals at the Open Hand Kitchen and groceries from the Food Pantry. They also receive case management.

Kira, an incoming second grader, has been involved in the Family Success Center. The FSC supports families and individuals so that we can enrich their family life by providing year-round educational and social development opportunities for at-risk children. This includes after-school and summer programming to elementary and middle school students.

The first week Kira attended our after-school program, a staff member taught her how to shoot a basketball. She enjoys “learning, playing, and eating” at the FSC, and told us, “Everybody is respectful and kind.”

With Demishia having dialysis three days a week, her mother, Ms. Ruby, travels from Detroit to help with Kira and things around the apartment.

“I am overwhelmed,” Ms. Ruby said. “I have never seen anything like it before. St. Vincent de Paul is so helpful with so many things that I could never even imagine … I was just in awe.”

It’s also about the little things. The playground next to their apartment. Mr. Paul, who oversees Paul’s Garage and the Clothes Closet, gave Ms. Ruby and Kira Kentucky Derby hats (see picture). Kevin Hyatt, the Open Hand Kitchen Supervisor, gives Kira extra desserts.

They call him “Uncle Kevin.” “In here, within St. Vincent de Paul, what you all do is what makes the difference,” Ms. Ruby added. “People on the streets would not be able to survive if it wasn’t for this.”

Tony Nochim
Source: https://www.svdplou.org/