Lora’s Success Story

Lora, a single mother of four, was working hard to provide a safe and stable home for her children. Until last fall, she managed to do so, paying rent to her landlord, living close to her mother to help with the kids, and remaining healthy. When her youngest son with special needs became ill to the point of hospitalization, Lora was forced to miss work. Her loss of income soon snowballed into the loss of her home.

Lora was unable to pay her rent. Though the family had lived in the same apartment for 19 years, the landlord took Lora to eviction court and Lora lost. She had 24 hours to move four children and 19 years’ worth of possessions out of her home. This was an especially painful transition as Lora had lived in the neighborhood her entire life.

With nowhere else to turn, Lora applied for emergency shelter. With Boston shelters filled, she and her children were offered a Randolph motel room more than one hour from school and work in Boston.  Long car rides in the morning and evenings caused a real strain on her sleep-deprived children, but Lora heard no complaints. While they were grateful for a roof over their heads, the family was uncertain about their future and needed assistance.

Lora and her children were referred to FamilyAid Boston, where their case management and housing teams helped move them out of the motel and into temporary housing closer to school and work. With FAB, Lora began to receive the support she needed to rebuild her family’s life, accessing the agency’s humanitarian aid as she worked to save money for a permanent move. Working closely with FAB Director of Housing and Prevention Services, Mikayla Francois, Lora acquired a housing subsidy voucher and began seeking a new home for her family, all while continuing her studies for a degree in Human Services.

In October, Lora and her family finally found success in a beautiful new home they could afford. The children love the new apartment, and it is close to the services they need. Lora continues to work Fitowards her degree, and the family remains healthy and excited to make memories in their new neighborhood.

Lora recently reflected on her family’s journey from homelessness to stable housing with hope for the future: “Since this move, I have been able to relax, breathe, thank God, and feel blessed for the journey we had and the new journey that we are on. To me, this is my new sense of safety. I feel like I am stable once again! This experience made me feel like I got back more than what was taken from me during my fight to make my kids’ lives feel normal again.”

Catch a glimpse of Lora’s story in our Thanksgiving: Operation Turkey Drop video here.