Conversations With Community: Mary

“North Helpline has been fundamentally life-preserving/life-saving,” Says our neighbor Mary, a Collections Analyst for a tech company. Though now employed, sometimes it has been tough to make ends meet.

Years ago, Mary came to North Helpline’s food banks to supplement their grocery budget. In the spring of 2021, she reconnected with us through the 211 hotline.

After contacting our Homelessness Prevention department, where we provide financial assistance for rent, utilities, and moving costs, Mary was able to stay in her home.

“I was able to pay rent at a time when I had no income due to being on medical leave as a result of head trauma. I was on FMLA at the time, but it took a few months for the medical leave insurance through the state to kick in and I had very little financial resources to keep afloat as I awaited those funds,” she said.

“North Helpline allowed me to stay in my house without fear of getting behind on rent and possibly losing my housing.”

Stories like Mary’s are why we know it is so important to provide our wrap-around care model, where we work to meet folks wherever they may be. Rarely are the obstacles of food and housing insecurity simple.

“In the past, I dealt with food insecurity due to poverty. I am permanently disabled and for much of my adulthood have had very little income. The food bank helped me ensure I was still able to eat,” said Mary.

For Mary and many others, providing food was only one step in their journey with North Helpline.

“In 2019 I was able to return to work full-time for the first time in over a decade. Although I no longer suffer from food insecurity, I still live paycheck to paycheck and the months when I did not have income were devastating on top of navigating through a serious head injury. I was able to pay rent on time and stay in my place due to the help I received from North Helpline,” she told us.

Mary’s story is not uncommon. It is why we work tirelessly to ensure that the barriers to accessing food and housing are as low as possible. We approach this work through our centering of Trust, Belonging, Dignity, and Equity.

“Being able to stay off the street, stay living in your community, keep yourself fed, and remain mostly self-reliant reflect these values and were realized for me on a personal level,” Mary said when asked about how our values showed up in her story.

Mary enjoys spending time outdoors, with family, friends, and of course her pet cat.