Christine’s Story

The Helpers are like a family. We receive referrals from various places, but we are often referred by a client’s family or friends. Christine was referred by a friend of a friend. She was living in a house with no heat or hot water in December of 2022. She had a teenage son (age 16) who has autism, a daughter (age 10), and she was pregnant.

Her family could not take her in to live with them because of the rules of their own housing. The father of her baby helped a little financially but was not willing to commit fully to the family. The care of this baby would fall mainly on her.

Christine couldn’t go to Good Counsel Homes because of the ages of her children. She was not eligible to enter a homeless shelter because she received social security benefits for her son. She was employed by Dunkin’ Donuts but not making enough to stay in a motel.

When she reached out to us, her vehicle was broken down, so the Helpers provided transportation for Christine to get to the agencies to which Mary Anne directed her to visit first. These included Legal Aid, Camden Safe Return, North Camden Housing Program, and OEO. We later paid to have her van fixed.

Instead of repairing the heat and hot water, the landlord sent her a bogus letter on letterhead designed to look like it was from an attorney’s office. It claimed that she needed to be out of the house by a set date. She was very upset because she had nowhere else to go! However, Mary Anne used her detective skills to decipher that the letter was bogus and not from an attorney’s office. That took the pressure off.

Thanks be to God, Christine found a new home before her precious baby, Darryl, was born last year. Sadly, he was born with no toes on his left foot. He has started physical therapy. Please pray he will be able to walk.

Christine, her children, and the baby’s father are living together now. However, she just found out she’s been approved for the Section 8 housing for which she applied a decade ago! Since the baby’s father has become verbally abusive, she is planning to move with her children when the housing is available next month. We clearly see the hand of God.

Darryl turned one year old in February. We continue to assist his mom with clothes, diapers and wipes. She also relies on Mary Anne for moral support and calls regularly.