Hattie’s Comeback Story
One Strong Grandma
Hattie is one strong grandma. When she and her three grandsons had to sleep in her vehicle, they made the best of it without complaining. But when Hattie took custody of the boys in 2006, she had vowed to raise them right… and she wasn’t about to let homelessness get the better of her family.
Over the years she had worked hard to keep the kids housed and in school. However, without the support of the boys’ parents, and because of her age, it became harder and harder to make the rent every month. Eventually, they were out of the street.
Hattie went to the local intake center for families experiencing homelessness, but they told her she’d have to sleep on the floor in any of the available local shelters. “I said no, we aren’t doing that,” Hattie recalls.
A Place to Plan for the Future
Hattie knew it would be asking too much of anyone she knew to take all four of them in, even temporarily. So she began calling Laura’s Home to get her name on the waiting list. After a week sleeping in her car, the phone rang. “They called and I was so happy,” she remembers. “I was about to cry, that’s how happy I was.”
At first, the boys didn’t love all the structure in their new setting, but they soon began to stabilize and thrive inside and outside of Laura’s Home. Nate, Hattie’s oldest grandson, is working full-time in manufacturing and plans to enlist in the Navy. “He’s a good role model for his brothers.” Hattie shares. Others at his work agree. “People keep going around telling me to keep up the good work,” Nate smiles. The two younger boys are already thinking about careers in construction and engineering.
Your support is even helping us send Nate and his brother to a drivers ed class for free so that they can get their licenses. While many might consider this a standard right of passage for a teenager, obtaining a drivers license and completing classes is major barrier for our families. Once the boys have their licenses, this will be a huge burden off of Grandma Hattie.
As they near the end of their time at Laura’s Home, Hattie and the boys are excited to be moving onto their next adventure – a stable, adequate home of their own!
Thank you for being there for this special family. Without your support, the boys would not have been able to accomplish so much in such a short amount of time. Because of you, each member of Hattie’s family is taking steps toward a lifetime of self-sustainability.
In May 2022 Hattie passed away and is now at home with Jesus. We are all so grateful for the light she was to so many, as she truly became a mother figure to so many residents. God bless you Hattie.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4
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