A Desk for Hela
“You never know how strong you are until you have no choice.” – Bob Marley
After jumping out her window to escape domestic violence, Hela was left homeless. “To lose him, I had to lose everything. I ended up getting a tent and living in the woods for the last eight years.”
Hela dreamed of being a writer and high school English teacher, and knew the best way to pursue that dream was to go to school. “Going to school while I was homeless gave me more of a drive. I had already lost everything, so the only thing I could do was go to class.” Hela first enrolled at Valencia College, then continued her education at the University of Central Florida.
When asked how she kept up with schoolwork, Hela explained, “I got an outdoor picnic table and chairs from WalMart. I’d set it up outside my tent when I needed to study. Or I’d go to the on-campus library.”
During her first semester at UCF, Hela started the student group, “Castles for Knights,” a club for homeless college students to support one another. Funded by the Student Government Association, Castles for Knights hosted meals for students experiencing homelessness, and ensured that those that don’t have the opportunity to go home for the holiday’s had a meal for Thanksgiving.
Hela moved from the woods in Apopka to staying on campus, where she slept on couches in study halls and on the floor of porta-potty’s. When hurricane’s approached, she was provided a dorm room for a brief reprieve from the elements. At the suggestion of campus police, Hela spent her last two semesters at Coalition for the Homeless. The Coalition helped Hela sign a lease for an apartment, and after eight years, Hela finally had a place to call her own. Hela received the keys to her apartment on December 16th, and walked across the stage on the 17th, graduating with a dual bachelor’s degree in technical communication and writing and rhetoric.
Coalition for the Homeless referred Hela to The Mustard Seed so that she could receive furniture for her new apartment. She selected 13 pieces of furniture and is most excited about the desk she received, so she can continue writing.
To support individuals like Hela in need as they transition out of homelessness, click here.
