From Loss to Joy, Mary’s Storymary

“I felt so much loss…so much in such a short amount of time. I didn’t know how I was going to get through it. I was at the end of my rope,” shares Mary.

After Mary’s husband passed away, she was forced to leave her apartment, a home she had shared with him and her three sons for more than 20 years.

For a while, Mary was able to stay with family and friends, until she wore out her welcome. Emotionally drained, she found her way to DuPagePads.

“It was so traumatic, the moment I realized I was homeless. I’ll never forget going to the overnight site for the first time; the weather was cold and dark and wet. DuPagePads staff welcomed me in and saw how tired I was. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow,” Mary recalls.

Mary began working with her case manager right away.

“My case manager had so much information on how I could go about applying for rental assistance and referring me to apartment complexes that didn’t immediately turn away people with evictions. Without his help, I would have been so lost,” Mary says.

After seven weeks of working with her DuPagePads case manager, Mary was able to move into her own apartment.

Mary beams, “Now I’m doing well and feeling financially secure. I love my apartment and especially having a nice bed to sleep on.

I can’t say enough about how thankful I am that DuPagePads was there for me in the most challenging and overwhelming transition of my life. I am so grateful to be ‘home’ and pray that they will always be there for people who need them.”

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