When Sammeca feared that she and her young children would soon be facing homelessness, she turned to Rotholme Family Shelter. “I met with them and it was perfect; they were nice people,” she said. “I ended up moving into shelter and luckily I did because my social worker ended up having a hands-on approach about me finding a place to live which helped me in the long run”.
At Rotholme, Sammeca not only found safe shelter and nourishment for her family, but she also worked hard to find stable housing. Not long after her arrival to shelter, she was packing up her family’s belongings to move into a new home.
“I moved into a place and I was super happy! I started from the bottom but Rotholme helped me be where I am at right now which is almost independent,” she declared proudly. “I feel like life is a long stairway. I’ve already climbed up 50% of my stairway and Rotholme was my railings”.
In addition to helping Sammeca secure housing, her social workers also connected her with important community services. For instance, before coming to Rotholme, Sammeca was unfortunately injured in a car accident that resulted in brain trauma. To help her live a healthy life, she was introduced to a local brain injury service.
“Sometimes I stutter or can’t explain what I am trying to say, but they never made me feel slow or stupid,” she explained. “Melissa and Cheryl helped me with my taxes and they helped me understand the mail I would get… It can be hard for me to fully comprehend what letters are saying. Because of them, I actually went to appointments that I would have otherwise missed. So they helped me a lot”.
Throughout her journey, Sammeca always put the wellbeing of her children at the very top of her priority list and was grateful that Rotholme supported her in that way. “I was really happy because they understood that I wanted to protect my kids. That’s why I love them,” she expressed.
Today, Sammeca and her children live in a house that brings them great joy. Her children have made friends in their neighbourhood and they even enjoyed their first sleepover recently. “I’m glad I can provide something for my kids that Rotholme helped me provide for them,” she said with palpable appreciation.
Sammeca is also undeniably grateful for the generosity of those who give to Mission Services of London. She explained, “I’m very thankful for the donors. If it wasn’t for donations, I don’t know if the social workers would have been there when I needed them!”
Written by Amy Bumbacco, Communications & PR Coordinator