Donisha became homeless after she separated from her husband in August of 2009. A string of trying events––her husband lost his job, the basement of their Fairborn home flooded so badly they had to move out––put a strain on their marriage.
The loss of home didn’t just affect her. 
She has two daughters, ages seven and three, and a two-year-old son. “Staying strong for the kids was the hardest part of not having a home,” Donisha said. Having never been homeless before, Donisha was desperate, but she soon found the Gateway Shelter for Women and Children.
Upon finding a safe place for her children to sleep, she continued to work and go to nursing school. One of her case managers, Thomas, quickly assessed that she was an ideal candidate for the new Rapid Rehousing program (RRH) and got the ball rolling to find housing for the family. They entered the RRH program in October 2009.
Continuously, Donisha met with her case managers and she actively sought out housing near her daughter’s school. With guidance from her case manager, she contacted utility companies, learned about lease agreements, and found beds and appliances for the new home.
Things were rough at times, and her part-time job was eliminated during the process, but she finished school and passed her exit exam. Donisha said getting housed helped both her and her daughter to improve their grades.
The RRH program helped the family with rent and utility payments. As the family found its footing, their portion of the rent responsibility increased each month. May 2010 found them living in Fair Market Rent (FMR) housing and paying 100% of the rent.
In addition to finding housing, Donisha found a new job with better pay and benefits. Now, her children are doing well and the family is thriving. She has family in the community and now she calls us simply to say hello.
“This is exactly how it is supposed to work,” said Amy Burger, Homeless Prevention Rapid Rehousing Program Manager for Homefull. “The client worked really hard to finish school and keep her kids housed and find a job. She did all of this within six months of participating in the program.”
“I would recommend Homefull to so many other people,” Donisha said, and went on to express her gratitude: “Homefull helped me find housing since I was busy with school. They helped me with the first month’s deposit. Really, they helped me start a new life.”