Our Stories Matter: Rolanda
A long time ago, Rolanda was getting assistance from a housing program she belonged to. She appreciated their help, but she wanted to stand independently, so she left the program.
Looking back now, she feels it was her biggest mistake.
Because she had bad credit, she could not get an apartment and had to live in hotels and shelters.
Her daughter brought her to Denton, where she was connected with Our Daily Bread. The people there helped get her a room at the Deluxe Inn. During this time, she also got COVID and was at the lowest point in her life.
Rolanda felt horrible as her credit score was getting worse. She was given a Housing voucher and decided to hold on to it. She was enrolled in the program at Smith County, but because of being sick and the financial challenges, she had to walk away from that program.
During this time, her daughter needed help with her son. Rolanda went to live with her daughter and helped them out. She broke the lease at her previous apartment, but they were willing to help her.
She continued working with the Case Manager at Our Daily Bread to find a new place to live. She stayed at Our Daily Bread for a month and then moved into the Deluxe Inn again while trying to find her own home.
She appreciated staying at Deluxe Inn. In the many months she stayed there, she found many programs which helped her and many outlets to help other people. No matter what people struggled with and their stories, they always found a place to help and give options.
Katia Batista with Giving Grace helped her a great deal during this time. Rolanda's grandson is differently abled, so her daughter and grandson moved in with Rolanda so that she could help them. Her daughter works in Dallas, so Rolanda is with her grandson during the day.
In the middle of all this, they are also applying for housing with the authorities in the State of Texas. She is eligible for Public Housing as they do not check her credit score.
She recently turned 62, and while she used to work in the school district and home health, she cannot work full-time anymore. She has had multiple health issues after COVID.
Shenayelle and Michelle at Giving Grace have also been super helpful. They both understand Rolanda. She is thankful for the security wherever she stays, which helps her feel safe.
Rolanda has also got involved in the community programs at Giving Grace. She helps with housing and working on cleaning up her credit; her younger daughter also goes with her to the community programs and gets involved with the other volunteers.
Her goals are to get back into her apartment, make it a home, get a lease and pay for her by herself. She also wants to find a church and create some community there, but it's been hard as her focus has been mainly on finding her family home.
Written by E. Sherene Joseph