May 27, 2015

Homeless at 60

Sally says: THANK YOU! "I was at rock bottom when I came here. Even the staff didn't know if I would make it." --EGM logo

When Sally’s* brother and his wife died, she did what she had to do — she raised her nieces and nephews along with her own children — five kids altogether. Life was tough. She struggled to make ends meet with no one to help her, but somehow she always put food on the table and kept a roof over their heads.

When they grew up and moved away, she thought her life would be simpler. But then the recession hit.

Sally was laid off from her job of 15 years. She was hired at a new company, but within several years another round of layoffs left her unemployed and staring poverty in the face. She lost everything, including her house. Now she was late into her 50’s. Jobs were impossible to come by.

“I didn’t have any money. I walked out of my house with just a backpack and the clothes on my back. I was scared. I didn’t know where I was going or what I was going to do,” she says.

Sally ended up sleeping on the streets. Her back hurt as the sidewalk dug into her aging joints.

“I was all on my own. Nobody cared,” she says.

Sally is one of a rising group of homeless individuals — people over 55. Declining health, rising medical costs and skyrocketing rents are pushing older adults onto the streets. In fact, experts believe the number of homeless seniors will double by 2050.

But there is hope. That’s because when friends like you support Everett Gospel Mission, Sally and other people like her get the help they need.

“If it wasn’t for the Mission I don’t know where I’d be. I might not be alive.”

Now, Sally is off the streets. She has a relationship with Jesus. In the meantime, she’s decided to spend her time giving back.

Sally didn’t choose to lose her job. She didn’t choose to be homeless. But she is choosing to make a difference. She’s an inspiration, and the kind of person you help every day through your support.

Thank you!

 

*Name changed to protect her privacy.