Two Years into Housing … Leslie and Charlie’s Story Keeps Getting Better
At the Wake Up Your Spirit Breakfast in 
November 2017, Leslie shared how DuPagePads Changed Two Lives by helping her family move from a pad on the floor, to a key in the door.
Recently, Leslie and Charlie wanted to give you an update on how their lives have changed since entering the DuPagePads Supportive Housing
program in December of 2016.
“When we first moved into our home, we weren’t able to sleep on the beds; it took me six months to hang up our first picture on the wall. We couldn’t believe this was our home, we finally had normalcy in our life,” Leslie said. “I love to cook, I can cook us dinner every night.”
“Our Case Manager h
as been a great support and someone to lean on. I’ve also taken classes at the Client Service Center, including Take Charge of Your Health, that helped me learn to manage my chronic disease. As a group, we learned from each other; I wasn’t going through this alone.”
“When we were at the overnight site, it was never quiet, and Charlie had a lot of trouble concentrating,” as a result, Charlie started to fall behind in math and reading at school.
“I was so worried about being homeless, I didn’t see her grades slipping until she was really behind. If you are all over the place and never know where you’re going to sleep, you can’t concentrate, learn and grow. Being in housing for two years, we have stability. Charlie has caught up in math and is catching up with reading.”
Their DuPagePads Case Manager shares, “I couldn’t be prouder of the hard work Charlie has put into her education. It will be worth it!” During their visit, Charlie was awarded with a pass to the DuPage Children’s Museum as a reward for a positive report card and comments from her teacher.
Because of housing you helped provide, Leslie believes, “Charlie can learn and grow to be who she wants to be.”
When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Charlie proudly stated she wants to be an artist and then showed off her art wall, inside her very own bedroom. “I can spread out my art supplies, and I really like to dance in my bedroom. I couldn’t do that at the shelter. I like having my own space.”
At the end of our interview, Leslie and Charlie both wanted you to know, “We want to thank everyone who has supported us!”
You can continue to empower families and individuals like Leslie and Charlie. Click here and donate today!