When Michelle came to Eben Ministries, she felt overwhelmed and hopeless. She was a single mother experiencing homelessness, without consistent food or a safe place to sleep, and she was in the early months of sobriety. She needed stability, practical help, and people willing to walk beside her as she began rebuilding her life.
Some images are representative and are used to protect the family’s privacy.
Looking for Stability
Before coming to Eben, Michelle had very little stability. There were nights when she had nowhere to sleep and days when she did not know where her next meal would come from. She was also working to remain sober while facing the responsibilities and uncertainty of motherhood.
At Eben, the basics began to become dependable: a safe place to stay, consistent meals, and a community of people who could help her take the next step.
Practical Help That Opened Doors
For Michelle, progress included practical steps that can easily be taken for granted. Eben helped her obtain a Social Security card, an important document she had been missing and one that was preventing her from accessing other assistance. The team also helped her restore food benefits and connect with resources she needed.
Those steps gave Michelle more than paperwork and assistance. They gave her room to mature, grow, and begin building a more stable life.
Growing in Faith
One of the most meaningful parts of Michelle's time at Eben has been strengthening her relationship with God. As she worked toward stability and continued in sobriety, her faith became an important source of hope.
A Difficult Decision Made with Love
During this season, Michelle was also dealing with a medical challenge that made an already difficult situation even harder. She ultimately made the deeply personal decision to pursue an open adoption for her daughter.
At first, Michelle struggled with the feeling that choosing adoption meant she was giving up on her child. With support, she began to see the decision differently: as a difficult and selfless choice made with her daughter's future in mind. Eben walked beside Michelle through that decision while allowing it to remain hers.
Moving Forward
Michelle's journey is still being written, but she can already see how far she has come. She arrived needing housing, food, practical resources, and stability. She found those things at Eben, along with encouragement, faith, and people willing to walk with her through some of the hardest decisions of her life. Today Michelle has moved into her own apartment and has a great job.
Her message to another woman facing similar circumstances is simple: for women looking for a safe place and an opportunity to move forward, Eben Ministries is a place she would recommend.
