Lola

“I’M A WALKING TESTIMONY”

Loss almost put Lola out on the streets. But you gave her help and HOPE!

Lola was face to face with the terrifying possibility of homelessness.

When her mother became sick with Alzheimer’s, Lola quit her job and moved to Akron to care for her. “I was her only caretaker,” she says. “I didn’t get any help except from my adult son, who is mentally challenged. I didn’t want to burden him.”

Leading up to her mother’s death, Lola quickly realized she would have nowhere to go once her mother passed. “I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Lola says. “I was stressed and experienced panic attacks.”

Lola called Haven of Rest a week before her mother died and told them about her situation. With no other family to support her, she didn’t know where she’d end up. Struggling on the streets or living out of her car felt like the only option.

The day Lola was heading to the cemetery to bury her mother, she received a call from Haven of Rest. They had a bed for her. “It was God looking out for me,” she says.

BROKEN AND BURDENED

THANKS TO YOU . . . Lola overcame crisis and found stability again!

When Lola arrived at Harvest Home, grief hit her hard. The three years of caring for her mother as she died were over, and reality sunk in. “It was horrible to watch her go through the different stages,” she says. “I thought, Why was I the chosen one to go through such trials?”

Depression, nervous breakdowns, and bipolar disorder burdened Lola. But the staff at Haven of Rest became her loving community to lean on. “They talked with me and prayed with me,” she says. “They wouldn’t let me give up. I got stronger every day.”

A HOPE AND A FUTURE

While Lola slowly but surely got back on her feet, she discovered the sewing classes offered to guests at Harvest Home. Sewing quickly became a healing activity for her.

“I struggled at first going through my different emotions,” says Lola. “Sewing keeps me focused, and it’s really become a joy.”

“I didn’t have any money — or anybody” — Lola

After 38 days of staying at Harvest Home, Lola secured her own job and housing. She is neighbors with her son, who found his own place in the same apartment building. “Without Harvest Home, I’d probably be sleeping in the cold, dead, or in jail,” says Lola. “I was not in my right mind. I didn’t have any money — or anybody. I’m a walking testimony.”

For so many, homelessness hits when it’s least expected. In the midst of her crisis and grief, Lola needed a place of security to get back on her feet. You helped provide that. And you can help provide it for others like her who will come to Haven of Rest’s doors.

“If you can give, please don’t hesitate,” says Lola. “There are people who are sincere about getting back on track. I didn’t think I could do it, but by the grace of God and help of the Harvest Home staff, I did.”

Give a man, woman, or child genuine hope and the care they need to get back on their feet!

Your Gift of $115 helps 60 people
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