By Scarlette Jasper, CBF field personnel
I met *Trish early in her work with the White Flag Ministry, a Winter Relief ministry that was organized and implemented by First Baptist Church, Corbin, Kentucky. Trish was experiencing homelessness. She and her partner had been living on the street for quite a while. Over the last several years, we ministered to Trish in various ways: mental health counseling, emergency food and shelter, basic needs, etc.
Many times, we talked about faith. Trish struggled with her faith. She had experienced a lot of trauma in her life, and this caused her to doubt that there was any good in the world, let alone a loving God. This past winter, Trish once again left her abusive partner. This time, with the support of case management, she went to a domestic violence shelter. While she was there, she was able to apply for housing assistance. Trish left the shelter and went back to her partner.
However, she continued to hope for a housing voucher. A few weeks ago, Trish called me and stated that she had received her voucher and had located on apartment. She had been able to get assistance with everything except for a quite large old utility bill. This utility bill was the only thing keeping her from escaping an abusive relationship and having her own clean, stable housing. Trish was crying and stated she did not know whom else to turn to. We agreed to pay the old utility bill so Trish could get into stable housing. Trish recently called crying; this time, they were tears of joy. Trish had moved into her new apartment, and she stated that all the support she had received renewed her belief in God and that she knew that there was indeed goodness in the world.