The Julia Greeley resident is a woman who has suffered any kind of traumatic event that has left her homeless, poor, and alone. On the street she is extremely vulnerable to brutality and sexual predators. Overnight shelters for the single woman alone are very few, and even if one is found, a woman has no time to regroup and recover from her trauma before she is forced to move on again.
We are breaking this never ending homeless cycle. Since August 2013, when we opened in our first home with only four beds, more than 70 women have come through our doors, and of those who participated in our program for at least six weeks, at least half of them returned to lives of purpose, meaning and independence.
Most of our residents don’t fit the “profile” of the homeless person that society has come to expect. Their life stories include raising families, earning a good education, and succeeding in skilled jobs and careers. Then came a life catastrophe they could not overcome on their own, such as domestic violence, family pressures or estrangement, financial collapse, or illnesses that took them out of the workforce. In Colorado, the sharp increase in the cost of living, and unattainably high housing costs have left many women with little time or resources to manage a “turnaround” on their own.
Like so many in our society, some women have faced past problems with drugs or alcohol, or experienced crises in their mental or emotional health. As long as a woman is drug and alcohol free for at least six months, and certified to be free of severe mental illness, she is eligible to join us.
The Julia Greeley resident is a woman who is motivated to heal from the life events that led to crisis. Our mission is to give her the time, resources and spiritual support to see the way ahead at a critical time. As one of our cherished former residents, the late Sylvia Bailey, expressed our mission, so memorably and so well, “Thank you, Julia Greeley, you were a light for me when I could not see the way!”