Restarting On A Better Track

This wasn’t how Emily had envisioned her life. She was stuck in a cycle of moving around with her boyfriend and longed for stability. She was preparing to find a place of her own and restart her life when she discovered she was pregnant. Emily found herself reliant on her boyfriend and his mom for housing, but with the frequent moving, she decided to try living with her dad in Virginia for a while.

Missing her family and Lancaster community, Emily and her daughter, Jayrianna, returned to the area, but were unable to find a place to stay. They had nowhere to go so she turned to Water Street Mission.

While at the Mission, Emily began to feel hope that her dream of a stable life for herself and Jayrianna could really be possible. She felt her determination grow as she began to see what her life could truly be like.

“While at the Mission, Emily began to feel hope that her dream of a stable life for herself and Jayrianna could really be possible.”

Working with her life coach, she set goals for herself, created an action plan and took advantage of everything that Water Street had to offer – including getting plugged into Bridge of Hope, an organization that helps single moms secure stable housing and connects them to local church communities. Because of this, Emily and Jayrianna were able to move into a new, stable housing situation at the beginning of December.
Knowing that mothering a one year old by yourself can be stressful, Emily is reaching out to a local church that she found through Bridge of Hope. Through this community, she will be able to receive the parenting guidance and support that she needs.

Emily is grateful for the opportunity that Water Street provided for her to get on a better path for her daughter and herself. Her advice to those who are just starting their restoration journey at the Mission? “Do your action plan. Take advantage of all that’s available.”

Next on Emily’s goal list is to go back to school to be trained as a Certified Nursing Assistant, then possibly pursue a further degree.

For now, she’s enjoying her new home … one that’s big enough to have family over. She’s also happy that Jayrianna has her own room.

We don’t know what the future holds for Emily, but we pray that she is able to stay on track and we’re thankful for our donors and volunteers at Water Street who make life changes like this possible through their ongoing support.

More
articles