Testimonials
Since 1991, more than 1200 individuals have transitioned from homelessness back to a life of self-sufficiency as a result of Rainbow Village.
In Their Words…
(Some names and locations have been changed to protect the privacy of our families.)
“Miracle of My Life”
“Home Sweet Home”
“She Worked Every Day…”
“Escape from Darkness”
Amy's Story
I was living with my ex-husband in a very nice home in Peachtree Corners. We had divorced 2 months prior. Knowing that I had no other place to go, he used that to his advantage and agreed to have us live in the same home. Staying there, I was subject to all sources of abuse.
My name is Amy and Rainbow Village gave me a new life. I can still recall it in my mind as if it was yesterday. I remember going before the panel to describe why my family should be selected for the last unit available in Rainbow Village. I was living with my ex-husband in a very nice home in Peachtree Corners. We had divorced 2 months prior. Knowing that I had no other place to go, he used that to his advantage and agreed to have us live in the same home. Staying there, I was subject to all sources of abuse. When he crossed the line and forced himself upon me, I knew I had to leave. I had idea where I would go or where to turn- except to God. I started praying and asked God to show me the way. I called the Gwinnett County Helpline and explained my situation. They told me about Rainbow Village and I was given a contact number. I had never heard of transitional housing before and did not know what I was getting into. I completed an application and was given the opportunity to go before the board to be considered.
On June 18 1996, there I stood, in front of the panel, with tears streaming down my face, filled with pain, rejection, and fear, holding my baby boy in my arms. I answered all of their questions. Not knowing If I would be accepted or not. I went back home and start packing. He got angry, asking me where I planned to go? Had I landed another guy who would take me in with a baby? Not caring that “the baby” was his own son, his own flesh and blood. After two long weeks, I learned that my family was chosen to join Rainbow Village. While I was very happy for us, I felt bad for the other families that were not chosen. It was then that I promised myself I would work quickly to get on my feet to give someone else a chance soon.
We were given a very small cozy cottage home to live in, complete with everything including a phone. At Rainbow Village, I made new friends. I met people who truly loved me, and did not want anything back in return, I learned how to budget, save, and to take care of my household of 3 boys, ages 15, 9,and 10 months at the time.
In January of 1997 I moved into my own townhouse after 5 1/2 months of living at Rainbow Village. Rainbow Village’s program set me up to succeed. I landed a great job with an advertising company and was able to build some savings. I left Rainbow Village feeling secure and in control of my life.
Once I got settled into my new townhouse, my ex-husband found out where I was living, I became so intimidated by him that I agreed to start dating him again. It was the worst thing that could have happened. The cycle of destruction began all over again. This time he became even more physically abusive to me and I had him sent to jail.. Rainbow Village stuck by me, helped me retain an attorney, and arranged for counseling that helped me address my issues with co-dependency. My ex continued to stalk me and tried to control me. But thanks to what I learned at Rainbow Village I was strong and didn’t fall back into that trap again. I got myself back on track and kept my focus back on what was good for me and my boys.
Within 1 year I rented a house and joined a church. My oldest son graduated from high school and went on to graduate from Mercer University with majors in Biology, Chemistry and Spanish. He is currently utilizing them all working at a company nearby our home. When he graduation he was asked what was he going to do now. He said, “Move back home, work, and help my mom to raise my brothers… She needs all the help she can get.” One day I hope he will continue to pursue his dream of being a doctor.
Today we are all doing quite well. I am an office manager for a company in Atlanta. My children are healthy, happy and thriving. With the faith I have, and with God on my side, we will continue to do well. I will forever be grateful to Rainbow Village and to Nancy Yancey for the new life you gave me. I love you guys!
My advice for those who may walk in the same shoes I did … When you are given an opportunity to start over, make the best of it.
Put God and your children first.
You can live without a man, but living without God or my three boys would have been impossible. I have no regrets about my life… I am happy I had the guts to leave. Rainbow Village was there to support me and they stuck by my side until I had wings to fly on my own. We need more Rainbow Villages because there are a lot of other women with children who are in those shoes I once wore. God is good…and I am grateful.
[/expander_maker]Celia's Story
On an average day Celia came home from work ready to cook dinner and love on her family, but life took a tragic turn. Instead of being met with hugs she was met by an angry hand that crossed a line and made her a victim of domestic violence.
She was in shock, stunned and had no idea what to do next. She knew she had to get out and fast. She and her two daughters fled with no time to prepare. They lived in hotels until the money ran out. Even with a stable job, they lived paycheck-to-paycheck, unable to afford the deposits required to move into an apartment. It seemed impossible to plan for tomorrow as they struggled to survive day-to-day.
Celia shares, “I prayed for a safe place for us to live where my daughters would have after-school care, and I could save enough money to either get into an apartment or realize my dream of owning a home of our own. Rainbow Village was the answer to all of my prayers. Not only did they help to meet our physical needs, they instantly became part of our family.
On December 21st we walked into our apartment at Rainbow Village for the first time. We were very sad and lonely because we weren’t able to be with our family and had lost what felt like everything. Things seemed especially hard at Christmas. But, we when opened the front door there were Christmas presents everywhere. It made my daughters so happy to know that someone out there, strangers to us, cared about us and would give so willingly. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was such an emotional experience that it still touches my heart today. I will never forget the love we felt at that moment. And what a teaching moment it was for my girls to see faith, hope and love poured out so unconditionally!”
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Deena's Story
Hi, my name is Deena and I’m a single mom to four boys and one daughter. I came to Rainbow Village because I was in a domestic violence situation and was separated from my husband. I was really, really distraught when I first came here and didn’t know which way to turn. It was like my mind was just totally gone because I had so much going on inside.
I came to Rainbow Village and had someone to talk to that could help me start to sort it all out. I attended the life-skills classes and they helped me to get my mind back on the right track, but it took some time. I really appreciate Rainbow Village for what you taught me because I really didn’t know which way I was going to go. Today I find that I still draw from those lessons I learned from my classes at Rainbow Village. They taught me how to budget, how to save money, how to be my own person. Talking about this brings tears to my eyes. In my marriage I lost myself. He did everything and controlled everything. Rainbow Village helped me find myself again.
I’m proud to share that I’m getting ready to purchase a home of my own. My time at Rainbow Village helped me to gain my confidence. I learned how to be a whole person. My budget plan helped me to have enough each month to save. When I left Rainbow Village I had almost $6,000 in savings and now I have almost $18,000! The programs you helped me go through and the habits I have formed have allowed me to do things I didn’t know were possible.
Coming to Rainbow Village made a tremendous change in my life and the lives of my children. I went back to school and got my instructors license so now I teach and sub at Empire Beauty School and am the head daytime instructor at Georgia Beauty School. I love teaching! Everyone at Rainbow Village encouraged me to do what my heart desired and I did it. When I graduated I had perfect attendance and a 98% total average. My daughter is now in school studying cosmetology. My sons are on track to graduate soon too. I thank Rainbow Village so much for helping me to get back on the right track. I appreciate you and love you!
[/expander_maker]Emily's Story
I was 28 years old and a single mother of two children, a six year old daughter and four year old son. I had lived in Ohio for 11 years, where I met my ex-husband of 7 years, and moved to Georgia where all of my family lived. My ex-husband, whom I had not been with for two years, seemed to still be able to make my self-esteem and feelings of self-worth feel less than zero.
I came to Georgia an emotional, mental and physical wreck! I still could not bring myself to forget all the mental, physical and emotional abuse I had gone through. Then, one day a friend of the family started to tell me about this wonderful program through Rainbow Village.
At first, I was a little weary and unsure, but something told me to make the call to Rainbow Village. I did call and was welcomed with open arms! The support I received on all fronts was overwhelming. While working through the program I began to feel like I was somebody and I could raise my children on my own. I learned, with guidance from my case manager, to create a budget. This is something I thought I would never be able to do. I actually had $300 extra each month that could go into my savings account. This enabled me to have so much more time, good fun time, to spend with my children.
Now, my self-esteem and self-worth is at an all time high! I know that anything that I really want to achieve, I can, even if I struggle sometimes. Being a single mom is hard, but with help from Rainbow Village it just doesn’t seem as hard as before.
I have learned that God works in mysterious ways and I believe there was a reason I went through all the trials and tests along the way. I found Rainbow Village and a whole community of wonderful, caring people through this program. I am very happy and thankful for everything Rainbow Village has done for me and my children. I am now working on paying off past debt and working towards buying a house. I see now that I have a new and fulfilling future ahead of me. Thank you Rainbow Village!
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John's Volunteer Story
Several years ago, Nancy Yancey casually asked me if I was available on Thursday evenings. I responded that Thursdays happened to be one of the few nights that I was not working. She immediately informed me that it must be a sign that I was meant to be a volunteer for “Big Recess.”
On Thursday nights Rainbow Village volunteers serve a meal for the families and then the parents move into education classes while the kids play together at “Big Recess.” Well, how can you say “no” to Nancy (or at least I can’t), so I said “yes” and jumped in.
What I found when I arrived was a loud, sometimes messy, somewhat chaotic mass of spontaneous energy exerted by kids ranging in age from toddlers to teens. My role was to be present, to pour the juice, keep an eye out, referee the arguments and help clean up the mess. This weekly experience over the course of the next year gave me a unique opportunity to see the healing power of Rainbow Village. For many of the kids, Rainbow Village is the first stable living environment that they have experienced in a long while. Some had been in multiple schools over the course of a year as they moved from place to place. I remember being touched by a little girl asking excitedly of Nancy if she “really was going to be at the same school all year long”. I have seen shy, frightened, angry kids change over the months as stability increased in their daily lives. Sometimes the changes were subtle; sometimes, dramatic.
I pray that my “presence” is, in some small way, of value to each child at Rainbow Village.
[/expander_maker]Lynnette’s Story
I came to Rainbow Village alone, scared and beaten down. I was pregnant with my third child and two small children under two. I had left an abusive marriage and moved from another state.
I have been involved with Rainbow Village for more than 10 years, as a resident, a volunteer and mentor, a board member and now a member of the staff. Through the years and the many different titles, I have been blessed with the gifts of strength, love, patience, and family through Rainbow Village. I came to Rainbow Village alone, scared and beaten down. I was pregnant with my third child and two small children under two. I had left an abusive marriage and moved from another state.
I came into Rainbow Village so distrusting of people and feeling like I had to make it on my own. Rainbow Village showed me that I did not have to live that way anymore. I have learned what family truly means. I’ve learned how to reach out, get help, and help those in need around me.
I have learned how to manage my money through the life skill classes attended and successfully purchased a home. I learned how to trust others. I have been blessed to have the tools now to be able raise happy and well-adjusted children, and to know that we are never alone and will always have the support of Rainbow Village. After all, it truly does take a village to raise a child.
Most important, Rainbow Village never once looked upon me as anything other than a woman trying to put her life back together. They understood I was looking for a helping hand up, homeless yes, helpless no!
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From Homelessness to City Hall: Miaya's Story
Neal's Volunteer Story
I was asked by the associate and senior pastors of my church if I would be interested in becoming involved in a local mission effort to refurbish a set of apartments that had been donated to an organization call Rainbow Village.
In the late 1990s I was working as an environmental consultant for an engineering firm in Atlanta. I had been with the firm for nearly eleven years when the owner instituted a drastic reorganization of the company. There were three divisions within the firm and I was the director of one. The owner decided to eliminate the director positions for all three divisions and thus I and two other senior employees were unexpectedly unemployed. Needless to say, this was shocking and devastating to all three of us and our families. As the reality of what happen began to sink in I began to ask a lot of soul searching questions. What should I do first? Where should I go first? Why? Will I get through this without it having a negative lasting impact on my family? Did this happen for a reason I don’t currently understand? The questions kept coming but not many answers.
One answer that kept coming to mind was, “There must be a reason.” Maybe there was something right in front of me that needed my attention right now more than my career. Is it my family? Is it something else?
I began the process of updating my resume, reaching out to my business contacts, searching job databases and all the customary obligations one does at a time like that. Over the next few weeks, I was asked by the associate and senior pastors of my church if I would be interested in becoming involved in a local mission effort to refurbish a set of apartments that had been donated to an organization call Rainbow Village. Rainbow Village, it was explained to me, was an organization that provided housing for families on the brink of becoming homeless.
Well, I could not find a good reason to say no. I could still keep up the job search, schedule interviews, do the many small jobs around the house that always seem to get put off and still have time to spare. So, I agreed to meet with the Rainbow Village staff and see if I could help. Well the rest is history. Over the next several months I found myself coordinating efforts for work days at the apartments, assisting with furniture drives to furnish the apartments, painting, cleaning, repairing things and whatever else needed to be done. After several more months of job searching and working at the Rainbow Village apartments I began to notice that this thing was catching on all around me. More and more people from my church and about five or six other local churches were now involved and enjoying ever minute of it. A local hardware store even graciously offered to donate the much needed supplies. It seemed that the whole community wanted this to happen and there I was right in the middle of a bee hive of volunteers eager to help.
It took a full nine months to get everything finished to the point the apartments were ready for occupancy. On a Saturday before the first families arrived, the Rainbow Village staff held a barbeque picnic and dedication ceremony at the apartments. All were invited that had given so much time and effort. What a great day! After the dedication, I took one last walk through each beautifully refurbished and furnished apartment and it came to me like a splash of cold water in the face. I was done with this Rainbow Village project for now and I must re-double my efforts to find employment. Numerous interviews had resulted in no job offers and my unemployment compensation was about to end. Yet, there was a sense of calmness and quietness about the fact that I had now been unemployed for nine months.
Here is the amazing part of this story. The Monday after the picnic and dedication I received a very generous job offer from a highly respected engineering firm in Atlanta. I was to begin work as soon as possible. On Tuesday I opened the mailbox to find my final unemployment compensation check as my benefit period had ended. Life is full of coincidences isn’t it? I choose to believe otherwise.
Neal S.
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Toni's Story
Recently we sat down with Toni for her first 90-day evaluation. She’s a single mom of four precious children. When she came to Rainbow Village she was barely hanging on. She had no job and was doing everything she could to simply feed and clothe her kids.
Rainbow Village is not for the faint of heart. Our program gives much but also expects much from our residents. Everyone is accountable. Some feel we run a boot camp, while others embrace the challenge and rigor of our program to push themselves to new heights. The first 90 days is the litmus test. In those first few months residents are able to take a breath and get their head about them. It’s a time of deep reflection when they determine how they are going to face the future. Will they be victims or take charge and chart a new course that leads to success?
Recently we sat down with Toni for her first 90-day evaluation. She’s a single mom of four precious children. When she came to Rainbow Village she was barely hanging on. She had no job and was doing everything she could to simply feed and clothe her kids.
In just a few short months Toni embraced all that Rainbow Village has to offer. She secured a job working as a medical lab assistant where she’s earned three different certifications. She’s attended diligently her life skills classes and completed a Dress for Success program that gave her renewed confidence in her own personal brand. She applied and was accepted to Gwinnett Tech and thanks to a Pell Grant she’s going back to school to become a dental assistant. It all appeared that everything was going her way, but we learned there was more to the story.
Part of the Rainbow Village covenant is that residents must have a job and transportation to get to-and-from work. Well, a few weeks ago Toni’s car stopped running and she didn’t have the funds to repair her car. But she knew she had a commitment to keep and she was determined not to let her circumstances beat her. She had fought too hard and survived too much to let a broken-down car get in her way. For over two weeks Toni walked 8 miles to the nearest bus stop that could get her to her job in Snellville each morning and then reversed the trip each afternoon to get back home. She never missed a day of work and carpooled with other residents to ensure she attended her self-improvement classes and her kids stayed involved in their programs. Because she showed such determination, initiative and accountability we granted her a loan that enabled her to get her car repaired. We have no doubt that Toni will pay that forward in so many ways.
[/expander_maker]Beverly's Story
In 1991 I had a much better life. I was a mom to two children and married to a man who loved me, so I thought. But my life crumbled down around me.
I learned my husband was sexually abusing my 11-year-old child. The one act of selfishness almost ended my life. My heart and the hearts of my children were broken. I did not know how to take care of my children or myself. I just let things go and as a result I got behind on all my bills. We lost our home. We lived in several homeless shelters over the next two months. Then God gave my family Rainbow Village. Life is good now.
When we moved into Rainbow Village things began to look up. I got a raise and was able to start saving money. I paid some bills off. Life felt much easier and I was able to regain my confidence. I saw that I could take care of my family and that everything was going to be ok. The 15 months we lived at Rainbow Village was the best time for me to get myself together.
I hope to own my own house soon, to see my kids grow up to be loving caring an understanding people, and to always remember to keep God first. I am blessed.
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Glenda's Story
Before I came to Rainbow Village I was living in a duplex that was more than I could afford to pay for after the children’s mother was told that she could not longer live with us.
My name is Glenda. I am 52 years old and I have custody of five of my granddaughters. Before I came to Rainbow Village I was living in a duplex that was more than I could afford to pay for after the children’s mother was told that she could not longer live with us. Every month I was served an eviction notice and the utilities were disconnected. I didn’t know what to do. I thought that I was going to have to give the girls up. Then someone told me about Rainbow Village.
I moved in after Christmas and lived at Rainbow Village for about 11 months. I didn’t realize that there were so many caring people in the world. Everyone was so nice to us and helped us.
We no longer live at Rainbow Village. We have affordable housing now and are doing well. I hope that one day I will be able to buy a home of my own and give the girls a good education. I hope that some day I can help someone the way that I have been helped. It has changed my life forever.
[/expander_maker]Thelma's Story
My name is Thelma. I am 35 years old with kids. Before I cam to Rainbow Village my life was unbelievable. I have been married twice. My first marriage was terrible. I put up with a person that loved to fight and drink. I got tired of this and somehow managed to meet my second husband that I thought was going to be something that was going to last but turned out I was wrong again. Six months before I found Rainbow Village my kids and I lived almost everywhere. I had to take my kids over to my first husband’s house to let them sleep there at night while I slept in the car. My kids would go to school hungry and full of worry.
When I moved to Rainbow Village I never knew that the light could shine so bright. I never knew that someone could truly care about my kids and me. I was surrounded by positive people that made a real difference in my life. I never knew that the steps of life start within myself. Rainbow Village gave me something that will never be forgotten: love, shelter, skills, a job and lots of other things. I hope in the future that my kids will be able to finish school and attend college. I also hope that I will be able to be strong enough to support them financially, to buy a house and save money for our future.
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A True Metamorphosis: Danielle's Story
Before I came to Rainbow Village I was living in a duplex that was more than I could afford to pay for after the children’s mother was told that she could not longer live with us.
As a community Rainbow Village helps homeless families with children find refuge, regroup, rebuild and return to a life of self-sufficiency. Through the years we have witnessed time and time again God’s saving grace and miracles.
The stories we have to tell are endless, but there is one in particular I want to share with you today that will help you better understand what Rainbow Village is all about.
At every big Rainbow Village event, I always look around for Danielle. She graduated from RV a few years ago, and I always enjoy talking with her. These days she is a woman anyone would want to be around. She is confident and proud; she doesn’t need a man to take care of her; she’s independent, capable and she exudes a life that is “together”… A life that works well.
With great commitment and dedication Danielle successfully achieved the three key missions of RV. The first is to break the cycle of domestic abuse. Danielle was surrounded by it. We can get a person to safety in a matter of hours, but to break the cycle of being attached to and dependent on a man who is harmful is a major shift in lifestyle. To an outsider, it seems easy. But anybody who has been there knows that it is so hard to do.
Our second mission is to break the cycle of homelessness. A person can be poor for a long time and never really know what help is available and how to access that help. So their life is constantly in crisis. They are consistently vulnerable to the cycles that put them sleeping in their car again or shuffling from place to place to stay off the street. It takes some sustained effort, but with Rainbow Village to learn from and lean on our families can break the cycle of homelessness.
Still, some of us who grew up in Appalachian poverty remember that there is a wide chasm between being on welfare and being proud of your life. Schools, for example, make every effort to hide the identity of the students who get free lunches, but that’s a large, large secret for a child to live with—a secret that crushes tiny seedlings of self esteem. It isn’t enough to take a child off the streets; a child deserves the chance to grow up feeling good about themselves. So does an adult.
That’s why RV has a third mission, and Rainbow Village is the only organization in our community that sets this as a goal: to break the cycle of poverty. Complete the Rainbow Village program and you will still face the issues we all face—we wish we could afford an expensive vacation this year; our kids are being a challenge right now and we wish they would be perfect (the way we were perfect, of course!), how are we going to get everything done that needs to be done—we wish we had more time. But when you complete the Rainbow Village program, you will face those issues confident—firmly confident—that you can make it through, that you are successfully taking care of things, that you are guiding your children down the right path, and that you are somebody of great worth.
So recently I sat with Danielle at a Rainbow Village dinner. She and another RV graduate talked about traveling home to see their families. Louisiana is a long drive with kids in the back seat and a 15 year old with a fresh learner’s permit begging for a turn at the wheel! And you can count on every family offering up some strange characters—just ask Danielle about Aunt Lucille! But she knows that while she is there with them, Danielle will be a superhero to many of the children there, children who still live a life engulfed by poverty. They will stare at her in wonder, whispering, “Did she really break free? How did she do that? Could I do that someday?”
I’ve learned that Danielle isn’t one to brag about what she’s done. She simply lives by example and lets her light shine as a beacon of hope and promise for other families that are caught up in those same vicious cycles. She continues to stay involved at Rainbow Village even though she now stands on her own, because she wants to be living proof to those that come through our doors that they too can break free and start anew.
Most of us, with our appointed homes, our jobs and our college degrees, don’t give such things much thought. But when you become involved here at Rainbow Village and witness first hand how the chains fall off, how life is restored, and how families go through a true metamorphosis that breaks the cycles, it is beautiful to behold.
[/expander_maker]Heather's Story
“I wanted to give up, but Rainbow Village wouldn’t let me. I was so lost. They loved me through the worst time in my life. There was always someone there. They helped me realize that I control my own destiny.” …
Heather was a criminal justice student with a bright future ahead of her. She was happily married and learned that she was pregnant with her first child at age 23. Motherhood put her education on the back burner. She had to go to work to help support their growing family.
The years passed quickly, and before she knew it, she had 4 wonderful children. But life threw her some big curves along the way. She and her first husband divorced and Heather found herself in debt due to large student loans to repay and no diploma to help her find a job that would support the needs of her family. She remarried, but her second marriage ended with a restraining order and a desperate flight to the protective walls of the Partnership Against Domestic Violence. Heather was doing everything she could to hang on and keep her family together.
It was then she found Rainbow Village. Heather’s plan was to be back on her feet within 6 months, but shortly into her stay at Rainbow Village, her world began to unravel. Her second husband filed legal charges against her and launched an aggressive custody battle. That’s when Rainbow Village’s network of support kicked into high gear. Rainbow Village staff helped her find legal representation and the counseling support that she needed. She lost custody of her kids for a while, but Rainbow Village stood by her and helped her fight. In the end, she was able to bring three of her four kids back home. She continues to fight to regain custody of her 5-year-old son but cherishes the never-ending words of encouragement and support she receives from the Rainbow Village community along the way.
In 2010, Heather graduated from the Rainbow Village program. She remains active in the graduate program and still keeps her mission statement, written during a Rainbow Village life skills course, posted on her refrigerator. Reminding her of her goal, it reads:
“To realize I control my own destiny by my words, attitude and actions.”
When asked about her time at Rainbow Village, Heather said, “I used to be full of fear and worry. I no longer worry about what I can’t control. I take no day for granted. This is just something I had to go through. It was not because of anything I did; it was done to me. I will be forever grateful to everyone Rainbow Village for standing by me when no one else would.”
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Bianca's Christmas Story
I wish I could find the right words to express my gratitude for how you’ve impacted and my family’s life; however, I don’t think the words exist. Every time I think of it, tears well up in my eyes.
You have already provided a beautiful, spacious place to live. You are educating me on life skills. You are teaching me to budget, to plan and to be as prepared as possible. You are giving my children a safe place to go afterschool and educating them, not just on academics, but also character. As if that was not enough, you allowed me, for the first time ever, to buy my children Christmas gifts. My oldest daughter is 7 years old, and I have never been able to pick out gifts for her and her 2 sisters. Gifts have always been donated to the girls, and I am thankful for that.
I will always be thankful to those individuals who helped make Christmas special for the girls. But I will always be thankful to you all even more for making Christmas special for me. To give me the dignity to pick out gifts for my children is an experience that I will never forget. Seeing them open up and be excited over the gifts mommy chose is something that will forever be ingrained in my memory. It is something that will always be a motivating factor during budgeting times and even to change things in my life style to be able to feel that self-respect, sense of pride, and pure thankfulness.
Thank you, forever grateful,
Bianca
[/expander_maker]Felicia's Family Blossoms
Felicia and her two sons continue blossoming three years after moving from Rainbow Village. She is very proud of the fact that since leaving our resident program three years ago she has not needed additional financial assistance.
She credits her growing financial independence to Rainbow Village’s budgeting program. “If you make use of the tools they give you there is no way you will fail,” Felicia recently told RV Community Engagement Director Michelle Alcorn. “Even if you don’t think you need what is being taught, you will be able to apply it later.” Felicia said she is now focused on being debt-free upon getting her 2016 tax refund and using it to pay outstanding bills. She is also saving money for a down payment on a home for her family.
Felicia, who has worked in long term care for 13 years, has now channeled her passion for meeting the needs of others into starting her own business. Angels on Call, provides a range of services including home care, personal assistance, gift baskets, special occasion planning and most any other assistance an individual might need.
Felicia said her business goal is to one day expand Angels on Call to include a personal care home.
Felicia says she and her boys also benefited greatly from the community of friends they made while at RV. Prior to being in the program, Felicia said she and her boys lived somewhat isolated lives; not associating much with people outside her family. That changed at Rainbow Village where they learned the value of community.
A self-proclaimed championship “couponer,” Felicia has since used her coupon skills to buy extra items to give to others in need. She said her memories of how much she was helped by the unexpected gift of necessities when she needed the help motivates her to give.
Another emotional boost, Felicia said, came from being constantly encouraged by her family’s Perimeter Church Rainbow Village Faith Partners. “It meant so much to know that we were cared about by people outside of the RV staff and community,” she said. It’s a relationship that Felicia has continued, sharing meals, receiving cards, and celebrating special occasions with her faith partners.
Won’t you please take a moment to invest in the success of future Felicia’s and their families by becoming a Rainbow Village “Angel.” Make your recurring Angel gift in any amount here and be part of Rainbow Village ending family homelessness, one family at a time.
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Rainbow Village… How Did I Get Here?
“There but for the grace of God go I.” Sometimes truer words are never spoken.
One of the Rainbow Village residents, Layla (name has been changed), seems to embrace these prophetic words. Layla grew up in a two-parent family, one of four children, in a household with parents who believed in raising their children by a strict code of conduct. In her own words, she was an average student in high school, but went on to graduate from Columbia College with a degree in Mathematics. Her dream was to teach secondary education, but after her first foray into student teaching, she quickly realized that teaching was not for her! During her senior year of college, her first child was born. She was dating his father, and they quickly moved in together while she finished college and he worked. Her second child was born about two years later and she found herself working at night while the children's father stayed home with them; while he worked during the day she took over parenting duty. Her former dream of teaching turned into working in the field of customer service for two different companies. This period in her life was very tumultuous – yet not unhappy. In order to spend more time with her children, she took a lower paying job that allowed her to work during the day.
About this time in her career, she ended her relationship with the children's father. She was committed to a lease and stayed in her apartment, still self-sufficient. While the children's father did provide some financial support, he was inconsistent. The only thing that wasn't inconsistent was the time he spent with them. He was, and still is, a good father. Layla was enjoying her apartment and her children when she met a new man, one that would soon become her husband. Despite the personal happiness in her life, she lost her job about this time, and spent a full year on unemployment and food stamps.
A year later, she married and moved from South Carolina to Cobb County. She was living a new dream of being a stay-at-home mom and home schooled her children until the oldest was in the eighth grade. She was ecstatic to stay home and raise and teach her children, but her father-in-law persuaded her that they needed to go to a public school. Although the boys were happy with the new arrangement, Layla wasn't. She missed them terribly. To help ease her boredom, her mother introduced her to crafting, as she herself was an avid quilter. In addition to crafting, at which she truly excels, she contacted a temp agency and spent a mere three days at a job that was wildly not well suited to her skills. Rather than attempt to find a new job, she determined to make a career using her crafting skills. She and her husband were living in a rented apartment with the children at this time and one day, while he was at work, he contacted her, writing that he wanted a divorce and as well, did not want any contact with the children that he had been a stepfather to for 10 years. Her heart and the heart of her children was broken and she has never fully recovered.
Layla had been having some mild, but concerning health issues during her marriage, and right after her divorce, she suffered a stroke. Her children called her ex-husband who took her to the hospital. After several days in the hospital, doctors still could not determine what was wrong with her. She was still so devastated from her husband leaving her with no warning that she believed that the stroke was due to that shock. To add another burden on top of her illness, her ex-husband gave notice to the landlord of the house she and her children were renting that they would be moving out soon.
With no savings, when the time period he allotted was up, she was forced to move with her children into an extended stay hotel in Marietta. She spent eight months in an unsafe environment with two children and worried constantly for their safety. When asked how she coped during that time she says, “I was very worried. But what can you do?” Her parents and siblings were not in a financial situation that allowed them to help her. During the eight months in the extended stay hotel, she was still taking medication for the stroke she had suffered, but still having severe medical problems.
Finally, through a friend, she was put in contact with Visions Anew, another non-profit friend of Rainbow Village. Their CEO put her in contact with Rainbow Village and as God's timing is always perfect, there was room for her here. Layla says that until she came to Rainbow Village she “didn't know a safe place existed.” Less than two months ago, Layla had brain surgery to repair damage to her blood vessels caused by a rare disease called MoyaMoya. MoyaMoya disease is a rare blood vessel (vascular) disorder in which a ring of blood vessels at the base of your brain progressively narrows, causing blood flow to your brain to become blocked. The condition may cause a ministroke (transient ischemic attack), stroke or other symptoms.
The good news post surgery is that she has recuperated in record time and will find out soon if she will have to have a second surgery to repair the blood vessels in the other side of her brain. If not, pending doctors' orders, she will be released from required home stay and allowed to resume working. Her speech has already improved and she is feeling much better. When asked what she wants to do with the rest of her life after she graduates from Rainbow Village, she hesitates a minute. She's not completely sure. What she is sure about is that her plan is to get healthy, attempt to start a business of her own, and concentrate on loving herself and making herself happy. As she puts it, “I don”t think I've really been happy my whole life.”
With the future tentative, but promising, she is about to embark on the beginning of her second year at Rainbow Village. Her advice to other women who have been abandoned is to “stay in touch with God, your inner self, and don't give control to anyone else but yourself.” Her support system outside of Rainbow Village these days is her children, siblings and parents. She proudly tells anyone who asks that the best thing Rainbow Village has taught her so far is how to save. “It's a hard program, but in the end, it's really worth it, but make no mistake . . . it's a hard program.”
We will take that as a compliment, because our job here at Rainbow Village is to change lives. And with change, comes discomfort. But also with change comes promise and transformation.
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Since 1991, Rainbow Village’s numerous, long-standing collaborative partnerships with civic clubs and community organizations, faith-based groups and companies of all sizes have yielded the volunteer power and program support necessary to provide the full complement of services necessary for families to break the cycle of homelessness, poverty and domestic violence.
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