Client Story: Emylee

Emylee and her two children, Ayana, 1, and Liyah, 5, lived in seven Orlando hotels after leaving their home in Connecticut.

The 24-year-old single mother and her children moved back to Orlando in 2020 to escape unsafe circumstances.  Emylee and her children had nowhere to go so they lived in hotels until the Florida Department of Children and Families stepped in and referred the family to a homeless shelter.

“You couldn’t stay in the hotels longer than two weeks so we weren’t really stable because we kept having to move,” Emylee said.

Emylee’s grandmother, who was legally blind, lived in Orlando. However, her grandmother died in December 2020 from Covid-19.

“It was a rough past year, but there was a lot of help from the community,” Emylee said.

With assistance from Aspire Health Partners and the Rapid Re-Housing Program, Emylee moved out of the homeless shelter and into her own apartment March 1. Aspire referred Emylee to The Mustard Seed. Thanks to YOUR SUPPORT, Emylee received everything she needed, including beds for her children, to make her house a home.

Emylee went back to school while living in the shelter and is now employed as a full-time phlebotomist technician.

“My grandmother was my main support, and she’s the one who encouraged me to go back to school,” Emylee said. “But, with help from her and the community, it’s been a complete turnaround. If it weren’t for all the help from Aspire, The Mustard Seed and the community, I probably would have lost my kids by now.”

Donate to help others like Emylee.