Katrina

Katrina grew up in foster care until she was 18. “I could just never get over the traumas and some of the things that were in my life. I would just give up and lose hope." After enduring years of instability, Katrina reached a point where she knew something had to change.

"I was at the end," she said. "It was like—this has to change. I needed a change in my life. I use that word change because that's what I wanted, that's what I was looking for, and that's what I prayed for.”

When Katrina arrived at ACCESS, she was met with a warm bed, hot water, and compassionate staff who told her, "Listen, this is home for now, and we are going to help you get a place to stay." Reflecting on her experience, she said, “The program was great. Everyone here wanted to start over, and this is the place I did that.”

Just two weeks before Christmas, Katrina got the news she had been hoping for. "I got a call that I had a place. My case manager took me to see it, and I told her, 'I'll take it!' I said it before I even saw it," she laughed. “It’s not just a home—it’s a place for me to heal. I feel like this neighborhood is perfect for me.”

Katrina’s gratitude for ACCESS shines through as she reflects on her journey. “Being homeless is a terrible thing—it’s very scary,” she shared. “ACCESS is not just a place to lay your head, it’s a program, it’s a home. And I have my keys.”

Now a great-grandmother, Katrina hopes her story will inspire others to seek help and believe in the possibility of a fresh start.