Success Stories
Lisa Montgomery
Shoe Specialist at Macy's, Coastland Mall
The guy that I was dating moved me here from Shreveport, Louisiana, on November 1, 2006. Then, a year ago, the day before Thanksgiving, I was working at Macy's and, I guess you don't really know a person until you live with them... A supervisor came up to me and said that some man had just brought all my belongings and left them at the back door of Macy's. And just like that, I was homeless. I knew I'd like to make enough to continue to live here, and if I had a place to live for 90 days, then I could save enough money, get my own place, and live on my own. I was so scared when I first walked in these doors because of the fact that I had never been put in a situation like this, but I can encourage anybody that's sleeping on the streets now, living with the pride that won't let them walk through these doors, that arms are extended. They pray with you, they encourage you. They do not belittle you. I stayed at St. Matthew's House 77 days before finding a place of my own. I was able to take advantage of services like the Bible classes and counseling. There were times when I was depressed, and I was able to talk to a staff member. I would encourage anybody that's considering and thinking about coming here, to let this be the beginning of their movement forwards to try to get their life back in order, because this place has so many different ways of helping you. We know where we've been, but we don't know where we're going...I would encourage everybody to reach down into their hearts, and their pocketbooks, to help St. Matthew's House. Nothing is too small because it could be one of our own loved ones that has to walk through these doors one day. There are so many times that when you're down in your luck, that people really care for you more when you get your head above water, when you're successful, but St. Matthew's House showed me mercy. They embraced me.