Shirley’s Story
“Nothing changes, if nothing changes”
As a retired civil service employee, Shirley Williams spent her life helping others through various federal programs. She never thought that one day, she would be the one in need of assistance.
After going through a domestic divorce, Shirley sought a new home in South Carolina, one where she would be closer to her children. However, even with a good paying job and social security benefits, the high cost of living and housing expenses eventually led to her becoming homeless and living out of her car.
“Honestly, in all my life I never expected to be in a homeless situation… It was so emotionally devastating, an emotionally and mentally low point in my life. I couldn’t see myself in this situation, not being able to afford a place to live”.
Shirley’s situation is not uncommon along the Grand Strand. As one of the fastest growing places in the US, demand for housing has far outpaced supply, with an estimated shortage of 5,000 units, causing rents to skyrocket. Since the pandemic, cost of rent has increased by over 30% Myrtle Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area. To be able to afford current housing costs in the area (i.e. spending no more than 30% of income on housing expenses), one person households must earn a minimum of $20.42 an hour based on full-time employment, with families having to earn even more. Meanwhile, the average renter wage lags behind at $15.98 in South Carolina.
*Graphic and data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2022
Thankfully, a person in her religious community referred her to our Women’s Shelter where she moved in in December 2021. “It was a wonderful Christmas present… Different churches brought in gifts. I cried, I was just so tenderly humbled by the kindness of the community and how they brought presents and little gifts, and meals, so you didn’t feel alone… You didn’t feel alienated, you felt like a community family.”
Living in a shelter for the first time was a different experience for Shirley, having always had a home of her own throughout her life. “It reminded me of a college dorm - different personalities, different backgrounds, but we were all the same”.
Despite the difference, having a safe, consistent roof over her head, basic needs, and resources, gave Shirley the opportunity to rest, regroup, and rediscover hope. With the help from our staff, as well as her religious community, Shirley thrived and moved into our Snug Harbor Transitional Apartments after a few short months in the shelter. “Being a part of the program at New Directions Women’s Shelter allowed me to keep myself busy, but also to be a service to the community, to calm myself, and to not be worried every day where I was gonna have a place to lay my head.”
While at Snug Harbor, Shirley has continued to maintain her employment, save, and plan for life after New Directions, while achieving semi-autonomous living with roommates “All of the women in the apartments have jobs, they get along fantastic and all do chores and keep the place clean… This helps people understand that when they move into an apartment or a home the basics on how to have a successful home.”
With a strong foundation, Shirley was able to access resources that would allow her to move forward, specifically through the USDA Rural Development Assistance Program. Through this program, she will be able to purchase a home of her own with a subsidized loan.
“I was able to go from one good program to another good one… I’m now on my next step and at my age, what a peaceful feeling I have now to be able to know that I’ve got a home now, that I will be purchasing soon and be able to have peace of mind that everything’s going to be okay.”
After two years of homelessness, soon Shirley will have a permanent, positive end to her crisis through a home of her own. In the meantime, besides working and saving, she is volunteering her time and expertise to help other clients navigate the USDA Rural Development Assistance Program qualification process, in hopes that she can help them secure the opportunity to find a home of their own.
“They make you feel uplifted. There’s all sorts of resources within New Directions… They have other community resources that you can be able to use. They give you other resources to be able to become a better person and take your limitations to make a great success story.”
More than just receiving shelter, basic needs, and resources to help her resolve literal homelessness and poverty, at New Directions, Shirley found the support to solve an even deeper kind of poverty, “the poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for” in the words of Mother Teresa. New Directions has been a place where she felt wanted, loved, and cared for and as a result, she has built strong bonds with our staff, including her initial case manager who brought her into the program.
“JoAnn made me feel cared for. She would check in with me about once a month and see if I had any concerns I needed to talk to her about. And that made me feel like family, like a best friend. And even now, finishing the program, to still have that closeness and friendship… It just made me feel sacred…She is part of my cheerleading team, even at the very end of the new beginning.”
When we asked Shirley what she would say to someone in a similar situation to the one she was in just one year ago, she imparted these words of wisdom; “Have hope. Do your own due diligence. Take ownership and responsibility. Reach out for resources to see how you can be able to get on the right road, to get out of the bottom of the pit, to have goals, directions… If you’re at the bottom of the pit, you can take the shovel, and shovel yourself out. It’s the same with this program: you don’t just let life happen to you, you make life happen… Hang around positive people. If you’re around negative people you’re going to continue that pattern. If you don’t change patterns, you don’t change your life…
“… Nothing changes if nothing changes.”
