Jackie S. - A Compelling Story

Jackie S. is a 42-year-old woman currently experiencing homelessness. She wants you all to know that she is "easygoing, goes with the flow, & happy." Unfortunately, Jackie has been experiencing homelessness for the majority of her life. Her mom worked 3 jobs and she & her 3 siblings had many different living arrangements growing up, depending on what was most affordable. When she was 6 years old, Jackie lived in a car with her mom and her siblings whilst still attending first grade. She shared that her mom tried to get some resources from Social Services at the time, but that she was rejected. She also mentioned that in the 80s, there were far fewer homeless resources available than there are now, so they were directed at people physically living on the streets rather than in cars.

When Jackie was around seven, her mom found a house that they lived in for a few years. Jackie shared that the house was run down and that the utilities were only on about half the time. However, people were always bringing food and supplies over from food banks, so her mom did not have to use gas to get any of those necessities. One of Jackie's neighbors bulldozed the neighborhood to grow his asphalt business when she was 10 years old, so they had to find another place to live.

Her mom could not find a house to live in so, Jackie shared that she took her & her siblings on “a very long camping trip” in Angela’s Forest, where they lived in a tent for several months. Jackie also said that she remembers asking her mom when they were going to go back to school, but that she never got a straight answer.

Continue reading Arielle Zappia's full article on Project Why's website to see how her story intersects with Grandma’s House of Hope.