Maize* came to House of Ruth’s transitional housing early last summer. She had just left a halfway house after serving eight years in a federal penitentiary. Maize feels her time in prison helped save her – from drugs, from prostitution, from trafficking…from a life that is so different from her present and her future. Maize has dreams, and she has used her time at House of Ruth to help make those dreams a reality.
Maize says her case manager “just keeps it really real with me, and keeps me on the up and up.” She has helped Maize navigate life in transitional housing at House of Ruth, always providing encouragement while Maize stays focused on her own goals and tunes out distractions that could affect her sobriety. Maize says she is not “tech savy,” so it was very helpful to have her case manager assist her with accessing benefits, like Medicaid and food stamps. They also worked together to create and implement a plan for Maize to build her credit, and explored next steps for housing options.
Maize says House of Ruth provided her with the housing and support she needed at a critical time in her life. Maize has received a rapid rehousing voucher and will move into her own apartment in less than a month. She is ready. Maize started working at a major pet retail store right after re-entering society, and has continued her employment while living at House of Ruth. She also enrolled in a dog training course, and was recently promoted to dog trainer. She is thrilled to be moving forward on this career path, a field that she is truly passionate about.
As she looks to the future, Maize says she is most excited about starting a new life for herself. She says her mindset is different now – she is sure of where she is and where she wants to go in life.
*Name has been changed.