Health care challenges are a very common factor that can drive a person to homelessness, and Brianna Searcy, who reached out to Our House in early 2023, clearly describes how this happened with her.
“I have always worked, but when I got sick, it made it hard to do my job. I had so many doctor’s appointments I had to attend, and different medications, and the medications were very expensive, and that’s what made it difficult for me to afford housing, because it was a battle between, do I pay for my medications to stay alive, or do I pay my bills to keep a roof over my head? I had to choose my medication. And that’s how I got displaced.”
After a period of staying in other people’s houses, Brianna reached out to our Stability Program, and her case manager quickly got to work helping her find housing support, connecting her with an emergency housing voucher, and then helping her find an apartment that accepted the voucher.
During this process, Brianna found out she was pregnant, making the need for safe and stable housing even more imperative. “Finding our own place meant not having to go from couch to couch, not having to live in someone else’s house. It meant having my own space for my son and I, so we can be a family together, and not be stressed about someone else being angry we’re there. Now that we have our own place, we’re free now.”
With stable housing secured, Brianna was able to get back to work, as a secretary in a hospital. And with her strong desire to help others and her hard-won experience knowing how important quality health care is, she is working to build a long-term career in the health care field. With help from her Our House case manager, she applied for and was accepted in nursing school! She just finished a semester of prerequisites and starts the program in the fall semester. Her goal is to first become a nurse, and then eventually become a nurse practitioner.
She also recognizes the importance of mental health, and she was able to get support from our Mental Health program to help her on her journey, meeting regularly with DeMarreo Tidwell, our Mental Health Manager. “I loved how DeMarreo would play with Azir while we met, so that my hour of meeting with him was stress free, because he played with Azir and was able to enjoy his company. It helped me to be able to talk about how I feel, with him giving me guidance, and being understanding, and helping me to have a better understanding of how I was feeling and what I was going through.”
Brianna’s advice to others who are struggling is simple. “Listen to your intuition. If someone gives you a resource, use it. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Our House.”