Healing hope

After emergency surgery and an abrupt move, Mary was left feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. She would lose everything while trying to recover from having her appendix removed.

The elderly couple, who hosted Mary in their home, fell ill and wanted to move closer to be with family. They decided to put the house up for sale. In just seven short days, the place she called home for seven years, sold. If that wasn’t a big enough blow, she would be rushed into emergency surgery that left her with a painful road to recovery.

“I went from actually being in the hospital to coming out to nothing. I was able to talk with the company that bought the house, and they allowed me to live in it for three weeks,” said Mary. “But I was still recuperating, and I had nowhere to go.”

With medical bills piling high, a move on the horizon, a frayed relationship with family and having just lost her job due to a company downsize, options seemed few.

We hear stories like these daily.

“It was a struggle every day because the house that I was living in was being renovated and they couldn’t extend my time, which I understood,” she said. “Financially, I couldn’t afford to move anywhere. I was stuck and didn’t know what to do.”

Mary would then relocate to an emergency shelter which was an uncomfortable experience. “It was 18 women packed in a room. People were doing drugs and drinking,” she said, “I’ve never done drugs, and I’m not a drinker.”

Adjusting to her environment proved to be another tough setback. That’s when she learned about Metropolitan Ministries.

“I didn’t feel like I had anywhere to turn to, and somebody suggested going through the intake process for shelter at Metro.”

The intake process gave Mary the reassurance she needed to know she came to the right place for help.

“I met with Andres in intake, and he made me feel like a human,” said Mary “He made me feel like this too will pass, and he kept giving me hope.”

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Mary was able to find safe shelter and the fresh start she needed.   

Mary was soon able to call Metropolitan Ministries her new home. Mary moved into Uplift, Metro’s long-term housing hall. She was placed with a case manager to assist her along the road towards self-sufficiency. 

“It’s not like you’re a number or just a person. People care here, and that’s what made a difference.” She said. “That helped, because here I was like a party of one, and starting over. And then when you get in here, it’s overwhelming because you wonder what got you here and how could this happen to me.”

Mary also found a sense of family and community with the other residents and staff members. She was also able to work towards her goals on getting back on her feet without worrying about a safe place to live or a warm meal.

“My goal was to move forward, have more in savings, and get a good-paying job. I wanted to be able to save enough money,” Mary said. She was able to secure a job with a career track.

With the help of the Metro team, in eight short months, Mary repaired her relationship with her family, found a job, purchased a car, and found stable housing.

“This place allowed me to make amends, and to mend myself as a person. I’ll never forget the opportunity that I was given.”

In the worst time of her life, she was able to find the light that is hope.

“I never thought it would get to this point, going from homeless to coming here. Now I’m looking for a home to buy, and I have money in the bank. And also, I have a life, and I have a soul.”

Looking back on her journey, Mary reflects on the difference an just one shot at a better opportunity makes.

“This place allowed me to make amends, and to mend myself as a person. I’ll never forget the opportunity that I was given.”


Mary’s story is just one of many that speak to the importance hope plays in transforming a life. Your donation helps make this a possibility for the many people we will serve in the future.