Getting Her Smile Back

"WE DIDN'T have anything, but The Salvation Army gave me everything I needed,” said Kailah, a 25-year-old mother of two who was pregnant with her third child when she found herself with nowhere to go. Just hours earlier, she had been evicted due to domestic violence, left homeless and fleeing her abuser. Kailah and her children headed to The Salvation Army’s Ruth Lilly Women and Children’s Center. Unsure of what to expect, she assumed a shelter would simply offer a place to sleep and a meal. To her relief, that wasn’t the case. 

“They gave us the essentials, but they also helped give me the spiritual boost I needed,” explained Kailah. “They had other people give us activities for my children and resources to get better.” Kailah didn’t have a job, a car, or even a plan to support her family. But once she arrived, The Salvation Army was able to provide that second chance. Kailah and her case worker began working together and it wasn't long before Kailah was employed as a substitute teacher and earning some income. Saving up as much as she could, she eventually bought a car and began to pay down debt from her eviction. “Without the availability of the shelter I wouldn’t be able to save money,” Kailah shared. “I came here feeling like a failure, but that feeling is gone because of the environment at the shelter.”

Before coming to The Salvation Army, Kailah's life was filled with challenges. She'd lost her full-time job and was dealing with domestic violence issues in her family, but it was the ever-present fear for her children's safety that scared Kailah the most. “I thought Department of Child Services would love them better," she recalled. "I was so lost and didn’t know what was going to be best for me and my family."

Today, Kailah is not lost. She is a working mother, providing for her family while saving to move into permanent housing. She dreams of becoming an IMPD officer and helping others whose stories are like her own. Kailah credits The Salvation Army for giving her the boost and resources she needed to get back. “I got my smile back and my personality back,” said Kailah. “I’m very happy with where I am at. I walked in as a different person than I am today and that’s because of The Salvation Army.”