22 Years Later, Jill's Family Remains Housed

Jill was born and raised in Olmsted County, MN. It’s where all three of her grown children (40, 29, 22) now live, and where she works part-time when she’s not caring for her youngest son, who struggles with autism and a seizure disorder. 22 years ago, Jill was a part of The Salvation Army Transitional Housing Program, which program helps 
families who have become homeless to secure an apartment, and then subsidizes their rent for a period of up to three years.

Before that, Jill had been in a challenging marriage, gone to treatment for chemical dependency, and lost custody of her daughter. Regaining custody was an important priority for Jill when she was accepted into the transitional housing program. She shared that the case manager who ran the program at the time, Pat, was incredibly supportive, 
helping her to finalize her divorce and set healthy boundaries with her ex-husband. “Pat truly cared. She was firm, but in a way that was really helpful,”said Jill.

Over the course of the two years Jill was a part of the program, she also got her own apartment, regained custody of her daughter, and got her mental health tech degree.  “Through it all, Pat was with me,”said Jill,“She went to court with me for my divorce and my custody hearings, and she met with me every month. This program is not a free pass. You have to work hard. You don’t want to land yourself back in the position where you started.

“But when you’re in the program, you’ve got someone talking to you all throughout the program, someone to help you work through issues and talk through things with you.”
Maintaining her sobriety was another important goal and milestone for Jill while she was in the program. Though it’s been a challenge for her, she’s currently celebrating nine months straight of sobriety, and she just passed the written exam to get her driver’s license again. 

“I really worked to advance myself while I was in that program, and it’s stuff that’s stuck with me,”said Jill. “That’s what I would say to the people enrolled in the program now. Do everything you can to put yourselves in a better position while you’re in the program. That’s what it’s there to help you do.”

After graduating from the transitional housing program, Jill moved to Kasson, where she continued to work and where her kids went through most of their schooling. Her son began having seizures at the age of three, and Jill remains his primary caregiver. She has also succeeded in maintaining housing for herself and her children. 

“I wanted to make sure I would always have a place for my kids and myself,”said Jill, “This program really helped me to build my confidence in myself and my ability to do that. That’s what I’d want to say to the other families. You can do it!”

To learn more about The Salvation Army Transitional Housing Program in Olmsted County, MN, please visit rochestersa.org.