The Importance of Emergency Shelter
Searching for Stability
Mary and her daughter Ginger have always been there for each other. Mary raised Ginger in California where she worked for decades as a teacher. Ginger, like her mother, chose a career that helps others directly. She worked with people with disabilities and as a caregiver. However, Ginger noted that, “the jobs I’ve had never paid enough to get ahead.”
Pursuing a more affordable place to live, Ginger and Mary relocated to Ohio where some of their relatives were living at the time. Like many people, they were trying to balance financial struggles and seek a more secure future. But they faced unexpected challenges.
Ginger and Mary lost their housing in early 2022. The reasons were complicated, but involved limited financial resources, health needs, and the simple truth that unexpected emergencies can overwhelm even the most careful planners. As Ginger said, “Even a CEO can lose everything in a heartbeat.”
After losing their home in Ohio, Ginger and Mary spent two years moving from place to place in a used truck. It became their lifeline as they searched for stability. When they had nowhere else to go, they sometimes slept in the truck, trying to find rest in cramped and uncomfortable conditions.
Over the course of two years, Ginger and Mary spent a lot of time in several Minnesota cities before landing in St. Paul. One evening in March of 2024, Ginger and Mary heard a scraping noise coming from beneath their truck while driving. When they pulled over, Mary said that, “the whole bottom of the truck fell out from beneath us.”
“Even when shelter is hard, I’m thankful Catholic Charities makes sure we’re safe and indoors.”
Safety at Dorothy Day Place
A passerby saw it happen and called the police who took Mary and Ginger to a hotel for the night. The next day they put their belongings into storage and signed up for shelter beds together at Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Place.
At Dorothy Day Place, Mary and Ginger found safety, and beds to sleep in every night. Mary noted, “They also gave us meals, clothes, toiletries—things we didn’t know how we were going to get otherwise.”
Catholic Charities staff are also helping them work to find stability. “The staff are helping us with the housing applications,” Ginger explained. “It’s a lot, but they’re walking us through it.” Mary added, “They treat us like people, not problems. That matters when you’ve been through so much.”
“Even when shelter is hard, I’m thankful Catholic Charities makes sure we’re safe and indoors,” Mary said.
Finding Stability Again
Even in the middle of hardship, Ginger is keeping her eyes on the future. She dreams of going back to school and finding a stable job. She wants to be able to support herself and her mom.
Mary is determined to build back the life she once knew. She dreams of cooking meals in their own kitchen, decorating for the holidays, and enjoying the peace that comes with stability.
Mary expressed her gratitude for the people at Catholic Charities. “Staff don’t just hand you a list and send you off,” she explained, “they sit down with you, explain things, and make sure you understand what to do next.”
After working with Catholic Charities staff, Mary and Ginger recently moved into a home of their own again.
