Lisa and her 7-and-a-half-year-old son became homeless in 2018 when her heart condition wouldn't allow her to work anymore. Her son also had emotional problems that needed special attention. But they didn't have any family or friends to lean on, so they lived in shelters for about a year.
"When you're in a shelter, you feel even lower than you already do when you're struggling. You know, it makes you feel like a failure," Lisa said.
Lisa and her son found support atGerard Place.
"Here I have my own place. My son has his own room," she said. "You know, I can cook for him every day. He gets a bath every day. It's private. It gives you that opportunity to be on your own, so to speak, but still get all the help and support that you need at the same time. It keeps you from losing your self-dignity and your self-worth."
Located in Buffalo's Bailey-Delavan neighborhood, at 2515 Bailey Ave., Gerard Place operates 14 two-bedroom furnished apartments that are currently serving about 40 people. It's permanent housing, with no time limit on when a family has to leave, as long as they're making progress toward a sustainable life on their own.
Lisa's now earned her associate's degree at Houghton College and she contributes more toward her rent as she's able.
Tamia lived in foster care, but was back with her mother when she became pregnant with her first child at age 16 and her second child at 17. When a third child came along at age 18, Tamia had to find somewhere else to live.
"It was just a tough home," Tamia said. "My Mom wasn't able to take care of me really. She has five other kids. I was living in a bad neighborhood. I didn't have the things I needed. You know, I wasn't able to buy my daughter diapers. I didn't have a job. I was still under age. It was very hard for me to try to go to school because I didn't have nobody to watch my daughter."
Tamia and her children found support at the Mother Teresa Home.
"It's a very big house, very quiet, very peaceful for you to get all your thoughts together," she said. "This is a very supportive place. You don't have to worry about anything for your child, whether it's clothes, diapers, anything. You're going to be safe. You're gonna be comfortable. You're gonna be happy."
Located in Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, at 208 Stanislaus St., the Mother Theresa Home is just that — a large home, that's welcomed more than 60 young mothers and 65 babies since 2016. In a family-like environment, it provides up to 18 months of free room and board, transportation, life skills and connections to area resources that promote long-term economic independence and well-being.
Tamia will be 20 in August and is expecting her fourth child. She's now living in her own house, with her boyfriend, and working part-time as she finishes school.
"I was very nervous and scared like to be on my own. That's hard when you don't got a mom, you know, like to guide you or tell you like to do the right things and stuff like that. I was very sad and depressed," she said. "And when I got there (Mother Teresa Home), they were just very heartwarming and welcoming. They helped me get through everything. I was able to move forward with my life so that things won't be so hard for me."
Lisa said poverty and homelessness can happen to any mother.
"I had a job, I had a nice place. You don't realize until you lose it all how lucky you really are," she said. "When I was in the shelters, it really opened my eyes to seeing how big of a problem it is. I mean, homelessness is a huge issue. And to be lucky enough to have the opportunity to start off again and to actually to be able to stand up on my own two feet, it's a huge blessing."
