Phoenix (STN) – For women arriving at UMOM’s Halle Women’s Center, the path to stability often begins with a single step: walking through the door.
That was the case for Calvina, a UMOM client whose journey illustrates how the program helps women rebuild their lives after housing instability. She had been living in Phoenix while participating in a recovery program when it unexpectedly shut down, leaving her and her family without housing.
“Due to the program being shut down, we ended up homeless,” she said.
UMOM connected her with shelter and services at the Halle Women’s Center, a program designed to provide both immediate stability and long-term support.
WATCH: Inside UMOM’s Halle Women’s Center
“In the beginning, it was traumatizing for us,” Calvina said. “Just knowing my children were going to be okay and that we had a roof over our head was a great feeling.”
At the center, every new resident begins with an intake process that identifies the barriers standing between them and long-term housing.
“When a client enters UMOM, our first goal is to do an intake,” said Fernandez Bjork, UMOM’s vice president of programs. “It’s to see what type of barriers they need to overcome. What is their housing barrier? What is their employment barrier?”
Employment plays a critical role in the program’s approach.
“You need the ability to not just find housing, but maintain your lifestyle and maintain that housing,” Bjork said.
For Calvina, that opportunity came through one of UMOM’s training programs. She completed forklift certification through the organization’s workforce development efforts, transforming a moment of uncertainty into a new career path.
“I was scared,” she said of the training. “But I kept telling myself, ‘You got this. Anybody can do this.’”
The program opened a door she had not expected.
“I’m going to leave UMOM with a career,” Calvina said. “That’s going to help me build myself financially and get a place of our own.”
For many women at the Halle Women’s Center, the journey begins with crisis. But with support, training and stability, it often leads somewhere far different.
“I’m very thankful,” Calvina said. “They’re giving me an opportunity to leave with a career.”
