More than a Home
It’s a Thursday morning when we speak with Kandy to chat about her experience at Tender Mercies. She’s just woken up but she’s excited to tell her story. We’re approaching her third anniversary of her sobriety and she mentions it within moments of starting our conversation.
“I’m working on me, you know?” Kandy asks. “I was miserable [when I was drinking]. It made it hard for me to love myself.”
In addition to childhood neglect, Kandy is a victim of domestic violence and other traumas, making the security she experiences here all the more important to her. People whose lives lack security often cannot work on the factors which led them to experience homelessness.
“This is my home,” she says. “Tender Mercies gave me the stability to work on me. It gave me structure.”
That stability allowed Kandy to kick an almost 30-year drinking habit. Her alcoholism affected all of her personal and professional relationships, and she experienced homelessness multiple times before coming to Tender Mercies.
But with the help of Tender Mercies’ supportive services, Resident Support Workers, and community of residents, Kandy has learned how to love and respect herself. Her sobriety means that Kandy is a completely different person today than when she came here three years ago. According to Tender Mercies staff, Kandy has done a 180-degree turnaround and the joy she is able to express is palpable — not something that would have been said upon her arrival.
That is the transformative power of Permanent Supportive Housing. When individuals are given access to the kind of stability, security, and dignity provided by Tender Mercies, they are give the opportunity to change the trajectory of their life.
Today Kandy enjoys walking and listening to the radio, and spends her days making art and working on herself.
“I made it this far,” she said. “I can go further.”
We cannot wait to see how far Kandy will go, and are proud to be her cheerleaders along the way.
This story has been adapted for the web from our 2023 Annual Report, which can be read in full here.
