“If we can somehow start to remove shame from struggle, if we can truly see people and care for them as our fellow human beings, we’ll start to see how many of us are also fighting in our own way.”
— Stephanie Land, author of “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive”
When I first read Stephanie Land’s book “Maid,” I was struck by how much her personal journey of motherhood while homeless resonated with so many of the participants we serve at United Ministries. Land, a single mother of a young daughter, experienced homelessness, navigated public assistance, worked as a maid and put herself through college — all at the same time.
On April 12, United Ministries will host our annual Uniting for Change luncheon, and Land will be our featured speaker. This luncheon, our signature fundraiser each year, also lifts up key issues in the work we do each day. Family homelessness, the benefits cliff and the effects of poverty on mental health are examples of those hurdles we see in the lives of our participants.
One significant evolution for United Ministries over the last year was a reevaluation of our emergency shelter program for homeless families. At the end of last school year, Greenville County Schools reported nearly 1,300 children identified as lacking stable housing, a 75% increase from eight years earlier. Many of these children come from families that are moving between family members and friends, while others are living out of their vehicles and camping out in tents.
In response to these realities, we felt we must do more. United Ministries recently began a partnership with Front Porch Housing where we are leasing 10 units. In these fully furnished apartments, families can stay up to 12 weeks while working toward stability alongside dedicated United Ministries’ staff members.
Our vision is a community working together where everyone has the opportunity to thrive in Greenville and our mission is to serve and empower individuals and families on the transformative journey to self-sufficiency. We hope you’ll join United Ministries on April 12 to learn more about how we as a community can unite for change — change that matters, change that is long-term, and change that will make it possible for all of Greenville’s children to thrive in the years to come.
Lizzie Bebber, executive director, United Ministries
