Help When Needed Most

Shaina Little faced a hardship no mother should ever have to encounter while raising children on her own: housing insecurity.

As a single mother of five, Little always worked hard to make sure her children had a roof over their heads and food on the table, but constantly moving from one place to another was far from easy.

The children often changed schools, and enrollment was a challenge as their ages ranged from 3 to 18. Little was often left to watch the youngest because she could not afford daycare, which impacted her ability to work. The money she did make was just enough for her family to get by. There was no extra money for emergencies and no family in town to help. Little was left to juggle everything on her own.

“It was a lot,” Little confesses.

There was a constant rush of worries flowing through her mind: “How am I going to feed my kids? How am I going to pay for the hotel? Is my check going to come in time?”

Little was tired of trying to figure it out all on her own, so she put her pride aside and turned to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte for help. Little and her family moved into the women and children shelter at The Salvation Army’s Center of Hope where they had a safe and stable place to lay their heads and three consistent meals a day.

“It was a very humbling moment, but a grateful moment at the same time,” Little says. “We had a roof over our heads, were being fed, and were able to bathe. I was able to have a little peace of mind with my kids.”

While at the shelter, Little was paired with social workers, Maria Gibbs-Deberry and Shamecca Davis, who helped her secure a job, reach her financial goals, and ultimately get back on her feet.

“I appreciate that they go above and beyond,” Little says. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have been able to meet some of the goals I have met today.”

Now, Little and her family live in the Hampton Creste Apartments through The Salvation Army’s Supportive Housing Innovative Partnership (SHIP) program. With the help of her social workers, she found affordable childcare for her youngest so that she could go back to school, something she had talked about doing for years. She has already earned her electrocardiogram technician (EKG) certification and plans to take additional classes to become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA). Her oldest child, now a high school graduate, is following in mom’s footsteps, entering the medical field as well.

Little wants to set the example for her children by showing them that anything is possible once you put your mind to it. She says hearing her kids say, “Mom, I’m proud of you,” keeps her motivated to continue moving forward.

“The Salvation Army gave me and my kids a place to stay and helped us out,” she says. “If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where I would have been right now.”