Can you imagine being homeless? Waynika Simms couldn’t either.

Waynika and her husband lived in their own home, raising their eight-year-old daughter when Mr. Simms was brutally murdered. Waynika could not afford their home by herself and she and her daughter, Ariel, found themselves homeless and living in a shelter. Fortunately, Waynika was referred to Housing Up’s Rapid Re-housing Program and, with the help of our case managers, she soon found housing.

“That’s where it all started. with a home, I could finally work.”

Waynika enrolled in school as soon as she secured permanent housing and began to work on her GED. After searching for a new job, Waynika passed the exam to become a parking enforcement agent in January 2016. “Receiving housing, an apartment, changed everything,” Waynika said. “My daughter and I got closer; she made more progress at school than ever before.” Now that Ariel has her own room, she has been able to study hard and is an honors student.

“It is great for me, and my daughter especially, to live in our own apartment … now having a place to call home – that’s one of the best feelings ever.”

With Housing Up, she knew that someone was right beside her, never giving up on her.

At this point in her life, Waynika has never been more proud to pay her rent and continue achieving her goals. She lives by a simple mantra: keep going. Waynika’s motivation is to never let her daughter down and to provide a better life for her than she had herself.

This is Waynika’s story, but it really begins with you. Your generous contributions pay the salaries of our hard-working case managers, maintain programs like youth tutoring, and, most importantly, help families like Waynika and Ariel. Your support directly translates to the success of our families. We thank you for believing in our families and supporting our mission of housing families and transforming lives.

To make a secure donation to Housing Up, please click here.