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Hilda Rodriguez never imagined living apart from her husband of 44 years, but after taking in three grandchildren, it’s a choice she made to keep her family together. When Hilda’s son was arrested, a temporary agreement to care for his daughters – one 3-year old and 2-year old twins – turned into a long-term commitment after he was placed on an indefinite immigration hold. She couldn’t keep the apartment without him. As an undocumented immigrant herself, work was difficult to find, and her husband was battling health problems in the hospital. Expenses started to pile up. After encountering one barrier after another, fear and uncertainty overwhelmed her. Her friends in Mexico urged her to come back. “But, I can’t bring the girls with me,” Hilda reminded them. “They would be taken by the State, and I can’t let that happen.” She was desperately searching for help through Catholic Community Services who connected her with Maud’s House. There was just one catch. Maud’s House serves women and their children only, so her husband couldn’t join her. When the temporary housing agreement with family ran out, he was forced to live in his car. Every day for months, he parked outside Maud’s House, and Hilda would bring a sandwich to him, so they could spend their lunchtime together. Eventually, he was welcomed to the kitchen table for that short time each afternoon. It wasn’t easy, but it was the best she could have hoped for. Maud’s House helped her find childcare for the girls while she took ESL classes and searched for work. She uses descriptions punctuated with exclamations when asked what her experience was like. “¡No tengo palabras para decir que asombrosa!” ( I have no words to say how awesome!) and “¡Gloria!” (Glory!) and “¡Fue como si Dios bajara!” (It was like God came down!) This enthusiasm and gratitude is part of Hilda’s spirit. She and her husband, along with the girls who are now 6 and 7, are reunited and living together in an apartment in Everett, but she stays in touch with Program Director Belinda Richey, donates clothing and small gifts when she can spare them, and visits often for holidays. Giving back is the only way she can repay the priceless gift of a stable future, which would not have been possible without Maud’s House.

Barely 105 pounds. In the clutches of drug use. Pregnant. It wasn’t until her 30th week that Tynikki discovered she was expecting her second child. The first phone call was to her social worker who immediately enrolled her in an inpatient program to get clean. “It wasn’t a good fit,” Tynikki says. “They wanted to take my son away from me after he was born. They only wanted toddlers or older kids. They didn’t know how to help me take care of a baby.” Facing possible separation, she knew she had to find another place to live. Her social worker found Maud’s House, a shelter for women in recovery and their children. “I feel safe and loved and supported here,” Tynikki beams. “Belinda is so different. She is welcoming. And there are a lot of moms and grandmas to help out.” When Messiah came into the world the day before Thanksgiving at a healthy 7 pounds, 11 ounces, nobody suspected he would be in the hospital a few short weeks later. Born with two holes in his heart, he required open heart surgery and round-the-clock care. Tynikki says that Maud’s House lets her live a stress-free life while supporting her in caring for Messiah. Celebrating 7 months of sobriety, she decided to quit smoking. Her efforts are winning her visitation rights to her 4-year-old daughter, Nevaeh, who has been living with family while Tynikki learns to live sober once and for all. Reflecting on this, Tynikki is certain that she would be “stuck in the same spot” and imagines Messiah would have been taken away, if not for Maud’s House. For others in similar circumstances, she says, “Just try to reach out. There may be a waiting list, but be patient. It’s worth the wait.” Soon, Messiah will be free of his feeding tube. He grows stronger each day, recovering from a surgery he’ll never remember while his mother recovers from decisions she’ll never forget. They are fighters. They have each other. They have a future.

Motherhood. It’s an exclusive club with a lifetime membership. No trial period to opt out. No satisfaction guarantee. And for some, like Melanie Curtis, or “Mel,” as everyone knows her, membership can come with a steep price. Deciding to leave home to keep her daughters safe was easy. Finding a place to stay was not. First, she “floated between houses” with two teenage girls, staying wherever someone had room. This was not the life she envisioned. Soon, her girls were grown and gone, and a semi-permanent living arrangement with a friend abruptly ended. Someone reported Mel as an extra tenant. Alone and unwilling to allow a friend to face eviction, she left for temporary shelter at the YWCA, followed by a 3-month stay at a motel on Broadway in Everett. This was not the life she envisioned. Shortly after Mel’s application to Maud’s House was accepted, her daughter Jessica returned as an echo of Mel’s past: a struggling single mother with two young daughters. Mel knew Maud’s House could help them, too, and there they were, side by side in a temporary shelter: a mother, a daughter, and grandchildren. This was not the life she envisioned. Yet, Mel’s strength and resilience led to the role of Resident Advisor, a “house mom” of sorts, encouraging others in their path out of addiction, assisting with job searches and childcare, and looking after the house itself. The role suited her so well, she became an employee of Maud’s House, where she still works today, shepherding those finding their way. “Good friends helped out. But there’s a limit,” Mel acknowledges. She could have scraped together enough “for a few weeks at a motel, maybe. I had no car. Nowhere else to go.” Without Maud’s House, she would have faced the decision to stay homeless or return to the house she fled. A house filled with fear and mistrust. Mel now has a stable job and a place to call home. The support she received gave her a future, so she devotes herself to helping others do the same. Her relationship with Maud’s House and Program Director Belinda Richey has given new meaning to the word motherhood. Safe. Sheltered. Purposeful. This is the life she envisioned.

Andy Thor is there when things fall apart. As a Navigator in VOA’s Emergency Response Suicide Prevention program, Andy cares for up to 23 clients for six months each. “Domestic violence. Suicidal ideation. Depression. Anxiety. Whatever it is they’re dealing with, we meet them where they’re at. We help them create a plan. How to heal. How to grow. How to cope.” Andy has served in VOA’s Behavioral Health department since September of 2020, but this isn’t the first time he’s faced crises. In his 12 years in the US Army, Andy rose from an E1 Private to a Staff Sergeant while serving in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and at Fort Lewis in Washington. Andy, pictured above on the right, specialized in Psy-Ops: running Target Audience Analyses to understand the values, culture, and beliefs of different peoples, and how his platoon could effectively communicate to change behavior. He switched over to the Reserves, and served for 3 years as a Correctional Officer at the Washington State Reformatory in Monroe. In 2008 he was recalled to Active Duty to deploy to Iraq, but at the last moment was stationed for a year at Fort Hood, Texas, to train soldiers while his wife, Mary stayed behind in Washington. Back in Washington, Andy’s daughter Abigail was born in 2011 after Andy was hired by the Lake Stevens Police Department, a dream job since high school. But night shifts put a strain on his family. He remembers one of Abigail’s first full sentences: “Daddy go work.” Andy wasn’t seeing his family enough – wasn’t being the father he wanted to be – and was seeing the worst of humanity too often. “There were times in police work where my hands were tied. We just helped them in that moment, but those moments leave people feeling vulnerable, raw.” For his family and for himself, he had to get out. After a few years of theft investigation for Microsoft and working in a friend’s home restoration business, Andy found VOA last Fall. “I feel a lot of gratification in clients who’ve hit rock bottom and have made positive changes. It’s been uncomfortable, but they’ve moved past trauma, past hurt. They aren’t afraid anymore.” “They didn’t let that crisis define them.” ------- VOAWW recognizes Mental Health Awareness Month each May by honoring members of our Behavioral Health team for all they do to keep our neighbors safe and healthy, and to always be there when things fall apart.

By Dembo Kanteh, Direct Support Professional II & Member of VOAWW's Floyd Committee. Dembo is pictured here with longtime VOAWW Disability Services client Ron Peters. Islam recognizes and celebrates two Eids. Eid al fitr and Eid al adha. Eid literally means a festival or feast in Arabic. Eid al fitr is the lesser one and is also know as the 'feast of breaking the fast' and is celebrated by Muslims to mark the end of Ramadan. Eid al adha is the most important festival as it remembers prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son when ordered to so by Allah (God). Eid al Eid: This Eid marks the end of Ramadan. It is a special three day festival. People greet each other with "Eid Mubarak" meaning "Blessed Eid" and hugging each other. The first day of three days begins with the sighting of the new moon and observes as a public holiday in Muslim countries. Muslims attend prayers in the morning and visit loved ones and neighbors. The head of a family gives Zakat al fitr (charity for the poor) for a member of the family. This is $7 per person in the US. Example: a family of 6 people, should give $42 to a poor person within or outside your community. Ramadan: Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslim lunar calendar. Ramadan is 29 or 30 days which depends on the lunar month. Islam has five pillars, and fasting (Ramadan) is the fourth pillar of Islam. Fasting is done by abstaining from pleasures like smoking, drinking and sexual intercourse between sunrise to sunset. Muslims aim to grow spiritually and get closer to Allah (God). Charity is highly recommended during the month of Ramadan. Islam makes it compulsory to give 2.5% of savings or wealth annually. This is normally done during the month of Ramadan. This is why Muslims give a lot of charity in month of Ramadan. Zakat (charity to the poor) is also a pillar in Islam. Eid al adha: This is the more important Eid. It is "the feast of sacrifice". Eid al adha tells the story of how God commanded Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith. Ibrahim wants to follow his command, so Allah intervenes and a ram is sacrificed in place of Ismail. Muslims slaughter an animal to remember Ibrahim's sacrifice and remind themselves of the need to submit to the will of God. The manner of celebration is the same as Eid al fitr. On behalf of the Muslims in VOA I would like to give special thanks to the Management of VOA for recognizing Eids as a holiday. VOA leads and others follow.

Anne is bragging about her client, a single mom with three kids. The mom moved back into the area with nothing, after a divorce and domestic violence. They stayed with her parents for a while, but she found her father gripped by meth addiction, and her mother and disabled sister were really struggling. When her parents lost their housing, she knew she had to get out. Within a month of working with Anne, the family first stayed in a motel, and then the mom secured a job and found an apartment. “VOA paid for the motel, but also the rental deposit and first month’s rent. I was completely behind her. I was so proud of her for doing what she needed to do.” Anne pauses. “What felt really good is….you have to pull into your reservoirs to find your strength and begin again.” Anne Hoffman knows something about new beginnings. From 12 to 25, from Seattle to Bellingham, Anne struggled against undiagnosed mental health challenges, self-medicating with marijuana. She started and stopped school. She started and stopped jobs. “I’ve been able to overcome many things. It hasn’t been easy for me. But, I’ve been blessed.” With help and proper diagnoses, Anne pulled into her own reservoirs, finished school and embarked on a career of service. She started with VOA in 1999 as the Emergency Shelter Case Manager, returned in 2006 as a Team Leader for our Housing and Transitional Services department, and returned again in 2017 as a Navigator for the Dispute Resolution Center, helping families in crisis find the support they need to begin again. As of today, Anne has lived a recovery-based life for over 27 years. “I wanted to turn my liabilities into assets. Use my experiences, strength and hope to make people’s lives better.” In addition to working, Anne is going back to school to earn a certificate in Financial Counseling, so she can help families even more. She loves her work and plans on staying. “When I walk into VOA, I feel like I’m going to church, to a sacred place.” - - - - Anne Hoffman serves as a Prevention Navigator in our Dispute Resolution Center, connecting clients with rental assistance and other support. Anne’s story is featured in our #IamVOA campaign.

“We could have anything we wanted for breakfast: tray of eggs, bread and butter, tea with milk and sugar.” Until she was eight, Sophie’s family was considered wealthy in their village of Mteni in Kenya. They could buy new clothes, pay the school fees for their six kids, and take in three orphans. But then her father’s business fortunes changed and the money dried up. After that, if they had breakfast at all it was leftovers from last night’s dinner, a type of porridge, or “strong” tea: black tea with no milk or sugar. “We may even go to school hungry,” says Sophie. Kenyan schools cost about 15K to 20K Kenyan shillings per student each semester – about $150 to $200 in US dollars -- and Sophie’s family could no longer afford it. But, her mother Grace spoke with a school official, who connected their family with funds from a Minister of Parliament. Sophie finished school, then continued on to college. That’s when Victor showed up to her village, part of a visiting group of ministers. Victor taught Sophie’s class, and she remembers when he handed her a graded paper, when their eyes met, when she thought, “Is this what they call love at first sight?” After returning home, Victor courted Sophie from Nairobi for over a year through phone calls and letters, and eventually came back to Mteni to meet her parents. The two married in 2006. “He was a man of integrity. He feared God and he loved family.” Her Mom Grace had a stroke in 2009 and was struggling to regain her health. Meanwhile, Sophie had her first son, Paul, in 2007 and after 4.5 years apart, was able to join Victor in North Carolina. Daughter Grace followed in 2011, and then Sophie’s Mom passed away, a bitter loss. By the time her son Baraka was born in 2017, Sophie had earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Liberty University and the family had relocated to Washington so Victor could take a better job. One Monday night on January 8th, 2018, something was wrong. Victor had come home from work late, after the kids were in bed, and Sophie heard him struggling. “I went into that bathroom to find him. He was throwing up so much blood.” They rushed Victor to Providence General in Everett, where the doctor discovered advanced stage liver cancer. “We didn’t know,” says Sophie. Victor never left Providence, and passed away on Wednesday, January 10th, at 3:30pm in the afternoon. “Everything I go through in my life has a purpose. After Victor died….I chose to seek the purpose.” After a job change in 2020, Sophie prayed, “Lord, I need direction. God, provide a means for me to reach out to as many people as I can with financial need.” Soon after, Sophie found the role of Rental Assistance Administrator and joined VOA last September, connecting families with funds to keep them housed. ”When I started working last year I had 300 cases, and other Navigators would bring their cases to me. This is my passion: to see people get help if they have a need. I love it. For the first time in my life, I hear men cry. Men do not cry in my culture. But here, they say, ‘Are you sure? Are you sure you’re doing this for me?’ when I tell them about their rental assistance. And they cry. I’m giving them hope, and offering confidence that I know things will be better.” “ Someone tells me something – a single mother -- and immediately, I empathize. I relate to their stories. I’m giving them hope, and offering confidence that I know things will be better.” Sophie knows how to drink strong tea. She knows that one day she and the families she serves will have milk and sugar again. - - - - Sophiline “Sophie” Abwao serves as Rental Assistance Administrator for VOA, connecting clients to rental assistance and other support. Sophie’s story is featured in our #IAmVOA campaign.

Chris Eck remembers. She remembers that old farmhouse they lived in in the DC area, when her Dad was in the Army, an d their Dalmatian, Patches. She remembers moving to York, Pennsylvania, near Amish Country, when she was four, where her Dad helped start the state lottery. In the summertime she’d leave home at 8:30am to climb trees, play dolls, ride bikes, and go swimming. She and her friends lived for recess – the monkey bars, chasing boys, running from boys -- at Stony Brook Elementary, where she took up the French horn. She remembers the juke box in the commons at North Hills Junior High, playing Tom Petty, Journey, and Blondie. She was the kid with braces and contacts – Vice President of her class -- and had traded in the French horn (too big) for the piano, started singing more, and loved time with the Girl Scouts and anytime outside camping and playing. She remembers the move to Olympia, Washington, when she was 15, the culture shock at Capitol High School. So many fir trees. Everyone in flannel. She had to push past her tendency towards shyness, branch out to make new friends. She found them in music and drama, in productions like Romeo & Juliet. Those are some of the many good memories. Before her Mom began drinking more. Before her parents split up. “ My Mom’s ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) score would’ve been really high. There’s so much that she went through at such an early age. Never really got past her trauma. She never really had the infrastructure and resiliency. She was damaged at an early age, and never got past that.” After high school, Chris moved up to Seattle, to the University of Washington. She had an interest in Poly Sci and History, and was always working jobs to make it: the Catalogue Counter at JC Penney’s, the movie theater, Toys Galore at the Northgate Mall. After graduation, she rose through the ranks at Virginia Mason, then later had a successful run in operations management for Premera Blue Cross. Baby Madeleine made Chris a Mom in 1997, followed by Zola in 2008. Along the way, she made a decision: “ I leaped into a new career in the nonprofit sector after deciding that was the direction my life needed to head so that I’d have the honor and joy of serving others. I really want to use all of my skills and experience doing work that is meaningful.” From DC to York, Olympia to Seattle, and now in Lynnwood, Chris’ Dad Peter was a huge a source of encouragement: “ I always knew he was proud of me. He was always there to support me. And that’s what I’ve seen, at Cocoon House and now at VOA: sometimes it just takes one person who believes in you.” “We’re all drawn to this work for a reason. It’s so fundamental: we have to support people with their basic needs and to feed our community. And, I love it here at VOA. I love the mentoring and coaching pieces, and I also get to be a part of creating new programs to meet the community need.” - - - - Chris Eck serves as Deputy Chief Operating Officer for VOA. After a successful career at Premera, Chris transitioned to the nonprofit world a few years ago. Chris’ story is featured in our #IamVOA campaign.

“See a need. Fill a need.” It’s how I’ve always lived my life. There are people who are born with something inside them to live in service to others. I am one of those people. When I was young, my friends and I would play “school,” but I was never the teacher or student. I was always the social worker! Being a voice for those in need is just who I am. My VOA story begins in 2001, working as a program manager for Disability Services. I knew I was filling a need for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and I found joy. In 2012, my family and I opened a nonprofit thrift store to fill a need for the south Everett community, and I found purpose. After four years, we decided to close it, but I never quit searching for needs I could fill. In 2016, I began overseeing the Meaningful Day program, which allows our Disability Services clients to take field trips, experience music therapy, and have social activities, and I found a mission. With the help of my team, I converted it from a few bare tables in a white room to a warm, inviting place where our clients loved to visit. In 2020, Meaningful Day was forced to close as the COVID pandemic developed. Like many, I used time to reflect, and I found direction. There is still so much good to do in the world. Whatever role I may find myself in, I know that the support of our leadership, my team members, and our community are what will keep that fire inside burning bright. And I plan to retire here. I am VOA through and through. This year, I will begin serving with VOA as a program manager for our thrift store opening in Sultan. I have found a new determination to serve. To do work that matters. To fill a need. Kim Biegel is the Program Manager for the new Thrift Store in Sultan opening in September and has been with VOA in various capacities since 2001.

Jessica Marburger has experience with what insurance companies call Acts of God. “Flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, riptides. I have been through them all.” Her body tells the story of Acts of God. When Jessica was 13, Hurricane Earl was touching down near her hometown of Port St. Lucie, Florida. She realized that her beagle Dottie was still outside, so she ran out into the wind and rain, slipped on her brick and wood steps, and crashed down as a tree from her yard toppled over onto her. She and Dottie were rescued by Jessica’s mom, but not before she broke her left arm, leaving her a lifelong scar. Jessica danced on that line between courageous and reckless: “Four chipped vertebrae. Cut my head open. The scar on my right arm from the time a semi-truck his my car when I was six. All those injuries from the times when I was riding horses or in the back of pick-up trucks.” After the Hurricane, Jessica’s parents decided Florida was no longer safe and settled in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Jessica began as a freshman at Coconino High School “I was shy. I liked to paint, play the guitar, garden, and take care of my animals: two pet iguanas and my Blue Great Dane, Tigerlily.” Near the end of her Sophomore year, Jessica walked into a Flagstaff Walgreens with her boyfriend, Josh, bought a pregnancy test, and took it back to his house. When it was positive, she cried and Josh held her. “I thought my life was over. Everything I wanted and hoped to do is not going to happen.” She told her Mom that night, was adamant that she was keeping the baby. She left the next day, moving in with Josh at his parents’ home. She dropped out of high school mid-way through her Junior year, but then her Mom told her about TAPP: her school district’s Teenage Parent Program, which helped her complete high school. “The teachers were wonderful and caring and accepting. They knew what we were going through and they genuinely wanted us to succeed. We had the regular classes, but we also took Early Childhood Education and Career Readiness, and they helped us get enrolled in different programs like insurance. They didn’t judge you. They were just there for support.” On April 12th, 2003, Joseph “Joey” Michael Marburger was born, seven pounds and 12 ounces, at Flagstaff Medical Center. Jessica’s Father showed up to meet his grandson. “He broke down in tears, and said Joey was a gift from God. After that, the two were inseparable. Actually, when my Father passed, he left his entire collection to my son.” By the time Joey was born, a TAPP counselor had connected Jessica with a local Head Start preschool. As soon as Joey was old enough, he began attending Head Start and Jessica began volunteering. Soon after, she left her job at Target to come work for Joey’s school as a Cook. She moved up over the next 12 years as Head Start helped pay for her college credits: Assistant Teacher, Teacher, Site Manager. Jessica and Josh got married in 2005, and baby Julia Marie Marburger arrived that September. In 2019 Jessica’s husband accepted a relocation to Washington, and soon after Jessica joined VOA’s ECEAP Preschool team as a Program Manager. “I feel like I’ve been where so many of them are. We didn’t have it easy. We had to struggle every day. We didn’t know, when our kids were younger, where our next meal was coming from or how to pay the bills. We’ve been on state insurance, on assistance. We’ve been to food banks in the past.” “I love that we’re helping people. Not only our preschool students. We do so much more than educate our kids. We do so much for our families.” - - - Jessica Marburger serves as the Program Manager of VOA’s ECEAP Trailside Preschool in Everett. Her story appears here as a part of our #IAmVOA campaign.