Mia's Story

Three years ago, during one of our distributions, we found Mia and her family living in their car in one of our city's parks. That same night, we were able to get them into a motel.

That night Mia's mother shared with us that she urgently needed heart surgery, but the surgeon would not operate until the Mia had stable housing. One month later she had her surgery.

Mia and her family are still housed and no longer experiencing homelessness. Her mom and dad are employed, and both Mia and her brother are thriving and enjoying school.

I often find myself wondering: What if we hadn't gone on that distribution that day? Would Mia have received the surgery she needed? Would her family still be unhoused? Maybe.Maybe not.

What I do know is that day reaffirmed why our work matters. It reminded me that even in the face of the many challenges and changes we encounter as advocates, every outreach, every conversation, and every act of compassion has the potential to change a life.

Mia's story is a powerful reminder that showing up can make all the difference.