Foundations For A Stable Future
At Housing Hope, we know that home is often the foundation of something much bigger. A safe, stable place to live can make it possible to rebuild relationships, pursue goals, and create a future that once felt out of reach.
For Nicole, having a place to call home meant the chance to rebuild one of the most important relationships in her life, the one with her daughter.
“We are in a really good space right now. She trusts me again, which is huge. She talks to me about everything.”
Today, Nicole’s 17-year-old daughter calls when she wants her mom’s advice. She recently planned a surprise birthday party for Nicole and baked her favorite cake. These moments may sound ordinary. To Nicole, they are everything.
Because of caring supporters like you, Nicole and her daughter had a safe, stable home where they could begin again.
By her twenties, Nicole had become a mother and built her own hairstyling business. Then COVID-19 took away her ability to work closely with clients, disrupting the stability she had worked so hard to build. Nicole eventually found herself without housing and separated from her daughter.
After experiencing homelessness for three years, Nicole received a call about a
two-bedroom apartment at Madrona Highlands, a Housing Hope community in Edmonds. She and her daughter were reunited in a space they could call home.
Housing gave them safety and time. For Nicole, this was where the real work of rebuilding began. And throughout her journey, Housing Hope’s Family Support Coaches kept showing up.
“The family coaches at Madrona…I can’t say enough about them. They just provide every kind of support that you need. And it comes from a place of genuine caring.”
As Nicole navigated the barriers in front of her, Family Support Coaches offered steady, practical encouragement. When Nicole needed a model for a working interview, one of her Family Support Coaches trusted Nicole to color her hair. It was a small act that carried a much bigger message: We believe in you.
That support helped Nicole build a foundation, and she did the difficult work of building upon it. She regained her hairstyling license and returned to the profession she loves. She is now preparing to advance her license and hopes to operate independently again.
Nearly 40 years ago, Housing Hope was founded on the belief that a safe home and a supportive community can give people the space to recognize their own potential and pursue the dreams they choose for themselves. Nicole’s journey shows that belief in action.
Nicole did the hard work of rebuilding her life. Donors like you helped make sure she had a safe home, caring support, and a community that believed in her while she did it.
Most important to Nicole is the relationship she has rebuilt with her daughter.
“She was my core motivation. When I couldn’t find the strength in myself to keep going, she was my motivation. Then I found my own self-worth.”
Finding that self-worth changed more than Nicole’s future. Her daughter now sees new possibilities for her own life and wants to follow in her mom’s footsteps by becoming a hairstylist specializing in curly hair.
This year, Nicole’s journey came full circle. She returned to Madrona Highlands and provided free back-to-school haircuts for children who live there. Her daughter came with her, helped with the event and connected teenagers she knew with services that could support them.
“It meant a lot to go back and help the kiddos.”
Nicole knows that some Madrona residents see in her what she once needed to see in herself: proof that moving forward is possible. She wanted to return not only to offer haircuts, but to encourage families who are navigating challenges of their own.
This is what your support can make possible.
Housing Hope does more than provide housing. Together with donors like you, we help people build a strong foundation for the future. A safe home gave Nicole and her daughter room to reconnect. Family Support Coaches helped Nicole keep moving forward. Today, she is using her skills to give back to the community that supported her.
Will you make a year-end gift to Housing Hope today?
Your generosity can help another family find a safe place to call home, access the support they need, and begin building toward a more stable future. No matter the size, every gift helps create opportunities that can change the course of a family’s life.
When asked what she would say to the people who support Housing Hope, Nicole paused. Then she shared this:
“My life is forever changed…there are no words, there are no words for that. I have my daughter back and my life back.”
Your gift today can help another parent open the door to a safe home and give a family the foundation they need to build a stronger future together. Please donate today.
Thank you for helping make experiences like Nicole’s possible.
With gratitude,
Kathryn Opina
Chief Executive Officer | Housing Hope
P.S. A safe home gave Nicole and her daughter the opportunity to rebuild together. Your gift today can help provide that same foundation for another family in Snohomish County.
💙About Housing Hope's Year-End Giving
Each year, Housing Hope holds an end-of-year giving campaign with the goal of raising unrestricted funds for our mission of providing affordable housing, supportive services for residents, free job-training programs, and childcare services & early-childhood educational programming. This year, the need for unrestricted funds has never been greater as our agency and county face unprecedented funding cuts, economic uncertainty, and the rising costs of goods. We see first-hand daily how families are struggling to make ends meet and the hard choices they are having to make. Together with your help, we can keep hope alive for those that need it most.
As the year winds down, we invite you to join Housing Hope as we explore how even a small donation is a catalyst toward creating foundations for a stable future in so many lives. Please visit our website at www.HousingHope.org/Year-End to learn more, hear about how you can get involved, and make a contribution toward creating lasting stability in Snohomish County.
