Our Stories
Each year I sit down and have a conversation with some of our guests. During these conversations we talk about their experience being homeless, staying at The Refuge and how the volunteers impact their lives.
Please take a moment and get to know the people we serve here at The Refuge.
Let us encourage you to strongly consider how you can be a part of this ministry.
Everyone has something to offer like prayer, writing notes, making phone calls to working directly with our guests. Find out more about by following this link.
Please take a moment and get to know the people we serve here at The Refuge.
Let us encourage you to strongly consider how you can be a part of this ministry.
Everyone has something to offer like prayer, writing notes, making phone calls to working directly with our guests. Find out more about by following this link.
Mary's Story
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Me: I asked you here today so that you could share with others a little bit about yourself. Help us get to know the real people behind the label. If you don’t want to share how you ended up here, that’s fine, but could you share with us your experience staying at The Refuge?
Mary: It’s been really great. I’ve met so many people I never would have met before and it’s been Interesting. Me: Have you ever been homeless before? Mary: No. No, this is the first time, so it’s like taught me something. But the whole reason I ended up like this is because (my daughter and her husband) they were getting kicked out and I didn’t want her to come into a shelter alone because of her seizures. Since they can’t sleep in the same area together and she sometimes has them in her sleep. If she had one while staying in the shelter, at least I was there. I was living in Tennessee. Read more here |
"John's" Story
Me: John, you've been with us a couple of seasons. In that time I've gotten to know you more, and I would like to ask you some questions that are a little different than those I normally ask in these interviews. I’m always doing research looking for the best practices for helping people experiencing homelessness. It’s a complex issue I've found and sometimes I feel like we aren't really helping that we’re just spinning our wheels. As someone who’s been in homelessness for a while now, tell me what’s your experience been like? What barriers do you face in getting out of this situation?
Read his story here.
Read his story here.
David's Story
Me: Alright, thank you David for coming in. Do you want to share a little about what brought you to The Refuge?
David: Well we (his wife and him) were living with my grandmother until the rent got messed up. They evicted us and she (his grandmother) couldn't find a place big enough for all of us.
Me: So, you and your wife ended up homeless. Is this your first time being homeless?
David: Yes.
Me: How did you feel when you realized you were going to be homeless and stay in a shelter?
Read more here.
David: Well we (his wife and him) were living with my grandmother until the rent got messed up. They evicted us and she (his grandmother) couldn't find a place big enough for all of us.
Me: So, you and your wife ended up homeless. Is this your first time being homeless?
David: Yes.
Me: How did you feel when you realized you were going to be homeless and stay in a shelter?
Read more here.
Brian's Story
Me: What brought you to The Refuge?
Brian: I lived with my mother taking care of her while she was sick. We were sharing a place with my brother and his wife.
My mom passed away while in the hospital. My brother and his wife moved and asked me to come with them. I went with them, but I guess I wasn’t finding a job fast enough to help pay for stuff, so they threw me out.
Read more here.
Brian: I lived with my mother taking care of her while she was sick. We were sharing a place with my brother and his wife.
My mom passed away while in the hospital. My brother and his wife moved and asked me to come with them. I went with them, but I guess I wasn’t finding a job fast enough to help pay for stuff, so they threw me out.
Read more here.
