“I was running from my grief,” says Cynthia. Cynthia is a single parent to 13-year-old twin girls and also a daughter in college. Just over five years ago, Cynthia lost two other children and her husband in a tragic accident. She was struggling staying where she had been living with them, and decided to move south to Renton with her children.
Eventually she started a relationship with someone who turned out to have addiction issues. Last summer, she decided she needed a change. “I learned you can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved,” she shared. She left her boyfriend and moved in with her sister in Federal Way and began looking for work locally.
Her sister only let her stay a month, so very quickly, Cynthia and her twins were without a place to stay. She had found work, but was running out of money for a deposit on a new place as they were staying at hotels. Through a contact at her girls’ school, she had been introduced to Linsay, a case manager at MSC.
“Linsay was my stress coach,” shares Cynthia. “She helped me by making appointments and coming up with a plan, she really took my stress away. She didn’t judge me or punish me for my mistakes. “
“If everyone who was homeless could have a stress coach it would help so much, but you also have to have your own drive to make changes,” says Cynthia, “that’s not something someone else can do for you.”
By the end of October, Cynthia was able to move into an apartment and MSC was able to help with some rent, furniture, and other costs to keep Cynthia going until she felt more stable. Her case manager Linsay also helped her create a budget to help her maintain her stability.
“I wouldn’t have gotten here without Linsay’s help. She truly was my stress coach, my savior,” shares Cynthia.
