Renewal

Kaitlyn dialed the number without any certainty of a helpful answer. She heard about Kalispell through a friend and thought she would go for broke because she had nothing to lose. After a brief conversation with staff at Samaritan House, she bought 3 coach tickets and boarded the train with her children. Colorado would become a memory and a new life awaited her in the Flathead Valley.

With the difficulties she encountered regarding the shelters in Denver, Kaitlyn was initially unsure of what to expect in Kalispell. Prior to her phone call, she spent some time researching the Flathead because she couldn't afford another arbitrary move that simply offered her a change of scenery. She needed to move towards something positive... something that would provide improvement for her and her 2 kids. So, as the train bounded closer to the station in Whitefish and her kids slept silently beside her, Kaitlyn's heart was filled with hope.

Kaitlyn now works 40 hours a week in a health care role in Kalispell and she is on the waiting list for an apartment. Homelessness was never a situation she would have imagined for her family but she is dealing with it every day. Her tiny family unit at Samaritan House serves as a launching pad for the next phase of her life. She is still shaking off the remnants of her time in Colorado but life is moving forward and she embraces the chance to contribute to the betterment of her own family as well as the community she now calls home.

The distinguishing factor in Kaitlyn's life is her ability to keep focus and never abandon her sense of motivation. Every day was another chance to look for opportunities to lift herself out of her circumstances. Just a few months ago Kaitlyn had reached the lowest point in her life but she refused to remain there. Instead of allowing her circumstances to strip her of her dignity and self respect, she responded by plodding forward, one incremental step at a time, until she reached safety and security. Through everything she endured, Kaitlyn didn't lose the willingness and motivation to work hard.

She has a new perspective on life and an appreciation for each day that presents itself. It would have been easy to succumb to despair of becoming another statistic, but she understood how important it was to fight for herself and her children. And Kalispell is a better place with her living here.