Elizabeth sits at a table in the Mission’s lobby, working attentively on a diamond art project (a popular type of craft where rhinestones are affixed to a canvas). She chose a template that resembles Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.

Her partner, Wayne, sits next to her, reading a book. Both have work later that day, but for now they can enjoy some down time together.

Elizabeth and Wayne are very close to getting a home. They’ve been working hard, Elizabeth at a pizza shop and Wayne with a local cab company. Together, they saved up enough money to pay the security deposit and first month’s rent for an apartment. They’ll be out of the Mission within a week.

This is a far cry from where Elizabeth stood when she came to the Mission a few months ago.

Elizabeth has lived in North Dakota for a little more than three years. She moved here with her adult daughter from a small town in Ohio. Their living situation worked well until her daughter got into a relationship with a man Elizabeth describes as “possessive” and “controlling.”

Elizabeth and the boyfriend butted heads often. It got to the point where the three could not continue living together. Elizabeth’s daughter and the boyfriend moved out. Though Elizabeth had worked as a nursing assistant for 17 years, she had no income at the time. She could not keep the home on her own.

In the past, Elizabeth might have fallen back to her biggest source of support: her sister. Sadly, her sister passed away from complications due to surgery several years ago. Elizabeth was alone now, and the Mission became her only option.

“I came here with a sweatshirt, a t-shirt, and a pair of pajama pants. That's it,” says Elizabeth.

Because of generous donors, Elizabeth got the support she needed at the Mission. We gave her some clothes, shoes, and winter gear (all donated). We sat down with her to talk about her situation and helped her get onto a waitlist for an apartment.

Elizabeth was ready and willing to work, but she didn’t know where to begin. Employers sometimes call the Mission with job openings for clients. We saw where Elizabeth could be a good fit and connected her with the pizza shop she now works at. Elizabeth doesn’t own a car, but her employer went the extra mile, literally, arranging to pick her up for shifts. She took advantage of this opportunity.

“It started as a day thing, but they liked my work, so they pick me up every day now,” Elizabeth shares.
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Elizabeth learned she could talk to Mission staff and social workers when something was troubling her. It surprised her to realize how much this boosted her mood and confidence.

“The staff have been really great,” says Elizabeth. “I’d been kind of keeping to myself, more or less, before. But now I’ll talk to people. I think [staying at the Mission] has helped me open back up again.”

Elizabeth found another big source of support at the Mission when she met Wayne. The pair became friends almost immediately, bonding over challenges in life and their shared sense of humor.

“[Wayne] helped me adjust from living with four people to fifty,” Elizabeth smiles. “And he showed me parts of Grand Forks I hadn’t been to: some restaurants and the view off the bridge…it’s pretty.”

Elizabeth and Wayne have a real chance of succeeding now. Bless you for being there in their time of need.

“The thing that keeps going through my mind is…God won’t give me anything I can’t handle,” says Elizabeth. “I can handle it, or I wouldn’t have gone down this road.”
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Friends, $90 provides the first day & night of shelter for someone like Elizabeth. Will you make a gift today to give someone hope and a path to housing?‍‍