Jimmy and Melissa came to the program separately as strangers.

In December of 2024, Melissa was battling substance abuse while trying to flee a violent domestic situation when she ended up in the hospital. Case workers at the hospital provided her with a list of available shelters and she called about a Brooklyn St. opening every day until there was one.

Jimmy couldn’t afford where he had been living after they raised the rent. He lost his housing and ended up living in a larger congregate shelter where an inadequate diet led to him being frequently hospitalized for his worsening heart conditions. Brooklyn had just opened three additional medical respite beds, and Jimmy’s cardiologist knew he would do better in a shelter like Brooklyn St. and submitted a referral near the beginning of 2025.

Melissa felt a new sense of safety and security being at Brooklyn St. She was able to stop depending on alcohol to get through the day. She immediately got to work bettering herself and making great strides towards a better future.

Brooklyn was much more equipped to meet Jimmy’s required dietary needs and he stabilized quickly. Jimmy wasted no time and started brightening everyone’s day. In a shelter environment, we often tell residents that you don’t have to be friends with everyone, you just need to be able to live together. Jimmy is an exception- he was friendly with everyone he lived with, which is no small feat when you don’t get to pick any of your housemates.

Both Jimmy and Melissa were very committed to getting housed. They met regularly with their case manager, came to house meetings with productive discussions, and joined a Rentwell course to make themselves more appealing as potential tenants. Spending all this time together, Jimmy and Melissa found they had a lot in common and soon began dating.

For Melissa, her optimism came as soon as she arrived. Being able to have a little space for herself, she was able to rely on her faith in the idea that things would get better. Jimmy said that he first felt that things were turning around when he and Melissa were able to start applying to places together. Meeting Melissa in a shelter made him feel like anything was possible.

Through their determination, Jimmy and Melissa got to move into a place of their own together. They got married with our wonderful Kitchen Manager Shyla Hecht being able to be the witness at their wedding. Their new home had a large, shared backyard- they were able to plant a garden, get a dog, and buy a car with their newfound stability. Most importantly, Melissa’s daughter was able to move in with them. They are continuing to better themselves with Jimmy making moves every day to keep his heart healthy and Melissa working on getting her Notary Commission Certificate.

Jimmy and Melissa had the following advice for people who are in the position that they once were.

“Don’t give up. Stay away from the alcohol and drugs- enjoy life and don’t do anything to shorten it. There are good and bad people everywhere but all you can do is focus on the things you know you should be doing.”