To Everyone Who Helped Restore My Hope,
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of Good Sam— really, without the help from YOU—and I can’t say thank you enough. I have gone from living in my car to living in a home in the country, with all my children under the same the roof.
Here’s my story of transformation and renewed hope.
In 2019, I left a toxic relationship with almost nothing to my name. I had my car, some clothes, and my youngest daughter. I needed somewhere to go, and my older children were already living with my dad, so we went to his house. There was another family member living there that struggled with addiction, and I knew we couldn’t stay. I fought too hard for my 7 years of sobriety to put it in jeopardy.
My only option was to live in my car.
My children stayed with my dad so they could have a warm bed to sleep in, but I worried about them every single night that I was sleeping in parking lots. As winter was getting closer, I was running out of options and giving up hope.
But then I found Good Sam.
After I reached out and met with the Good Sam team, I was relieved by their kind response. Before I had even left the parking lot, they called and said, “We would love for you to move in right now.” Good Sam opened their doors to not just me, but to all three of my children. They literally put my family back together again.
It wasn’t long before I saw positive changes in my kids—their attitudes, behaviors, and even their grades. My daughter made honor roll for the first time! Good Sam gave us a safe place to call home so we could get back on our feet again. Through learning to budget and utilizing the microloan program they offer, I was able to pay for my own car repairs so I could have reliable transportation. I also began seeing Kristin, the counselor at Good Sam. I had tried counseling before, but this was different. I instantly got a warm feeling from her, and she was willing to accommodate my work and children’s schedules so we could meet when it was a good time for me, even if that meant we met in the evening, after regular hours. Offering counseling as part of the program is such a good idea because every person who shows up here is going through traumatizing things. It’s an amazing resource.
The thing I value most about my time at Good Sam, is for the first time in my life, I felt like I had people in my corner who genuinely wanted good things for me. Before Good Sam, I had a very hard time trusting anyone, including my family. At Good Sam, I had a whole support system who cared about me and wanted the best for me. It truly helped me to hope again. After everything I’ve been through, I needed that the most.
Before Good Sam, I thought my best-case scenario would be settling for a scary apartment in a bad neighborhood. I never thought I’d be moving with my children into a beautiful home in the country. It’s beyond my wildest dreams. That’s why I’d like to thank you. By supporting Good Sam, you’ve helped keep my children clean, fed, and clothed. Because of you, my kids are safe and happy. You’ve given me hope when I didn’t think I would ever feel it again, and you do the same for all the people that Good Sam helps every single day. Good Sam is a huge blessing and I’m forever grateful.
Sincerely,
Trishia
A Good Sam Graduate
