Making a New House Feel Like Home–Crystal’s Story

If you met Crystal you’d say she was determined, tenacious and probably doesn’t take no for an answer. She’s also a loving mother of three young boys.

Crystal and her sons had spent 18 months in a homeless shelter living in one room with a broken stove. Crystal told me that the food in the shelter wasn’t healthy for her growing boys. So, each week she would give her SNAP card to relatives who would buy groceries and prepare healthy meals for them to eat.

Providing for her family and managing her mental illness took its toll, but she kept putting one foot in front of the other.

Now they have their own apartment in a quiet neighborhood. There’s a backyard where the boys can run around and throw a ball. And best of all, as far as Crystal is concerned, there’s a garden. She can hardly wait for spring to plant tomatoes, peppers, onions, and carrots to feed her family. She can stay in this apartment until her youngest turns 24. And he’s only 8.

It takes about $1,000 a month for us to walk alongside Crystal and others like her on their life’s journey.

It takes $3.8 million to fully fund Impact’s mission. $437,000 comes from philanthropy. Right now, we have $110,000 left to close the gap in fully funding our mission before the end of our fiscal year on June 30.