guest story

Florence first came to us five years ago. She was homeless and living under a bridge just a few miles from Miriam's Kitchen.

For the first year or so, Florence would come for breakfast, eat and leave. A debilitating mental illness and a history of trauma left her feeling distrustful of others, and even our Case Managers couldn't always connect with her.

They knew that having safe, reliable housing would have a big impact on her life though, and worked tirelessly to find a place for Florence to call her own.

This afternoon, four of our guests will open the door to homes of their own.

For one of them, this is the first time they've lived indoors in more than 5 years.

As we prepare them to move into housing today, we are reminded of a man who also experienced the thrill of moving into his own home around this time last year.

Meet Michael.

Michael is a Vietnam veteran, a former medical professional and recovering drug addict. He's 62 years old and has been part of the Miriam's Kitchen community for four years.