Homeless young woman gets a chance to start over due to her own hard work

Table of Contents
No headings were found on this page.

Share

A formerly homeless young woman is getting a fresh start. She now has her own apartment and car, and it’s all thanks to her own hard work. Next, she wants to help others.

After years of sleeping on others’ couches, at St. Matthew’s House Campbell Lodge in Naples, Florida and at Youth Haven Homeless Shelter, 19-year-old Merci now has a bed to call her own. This is an emotional day for her, as she spent much of her life homeless.

“It’s still not hitting me yet,” Merci said. “I’m sure once it’s all decorated and the first night when I’m actually sleeping, it’ll be like, ‘Wow, this is mine.’ It’s exciting.”

She’ll have plenty of materials to decorate with, too. GL homes donated $2,000 to help Merci furnish her new North Naples apartment with plenty of items from St. Matthew’s House Thrift Store in Bonita Springs, Florida. A coffee maker, headboard and bar stools in the new home all belong to her.

We’re so proud of you Merci and are happy that we were able to help you make your home your own! God bless you; we know that you’re gonna be a world-changer!

View the full story from WINK News here:

If you are in need of emergency or transitional housing and/or food assistance, you can learn more here.

To learn about volunteering, click here.

To make a donation to St. Matthew’s House, click below:

You may also be interested

Follow us on Social

Congrats to Marco on being presented a Core Value Award by his supervisor! Marco displayed a helpful and healing demeanor as he aided a volunteer in a health emergency at Campbell Lodge.

#StMatthewsHouse #nonprofit #charity #EmployeeRecognition #SWFL
Video Reels Thank you to our staff and volunteers who are working the US Open Pickleball Championships. If you're there, stop by our tent to say hi and get a delicious bite to eat!

#StMatthewsHouse #SocialEnterprise #DeliciousByDesign #nonprofit #charity #SouthwestFlorida #SWFL
Video Reels Thank you to the local chapter of the American Heart Association for blessing us! We received this refrigerator as a donation from a grant, so that we can distribute larger quantities of fresh food to people in Southwest Florida.

#StMatthewsHouse #FoodAssistance #Florida #SWFL #CommunityPartners #AmericanHeartAssociation @american_heart @americanheartfl
Many thanks to our hole-in-one sponsor: Genesis of Naples!

To learn more or register to play, click here: https://stmatthewshouse.givevirtuous.org/Event/2025-st-matthews-house-charity-golf-scramble

#StMatthewsHouse #nonprofit #charity #golf #SWFL #SouthwestFlorida #GenesisOfNaples @genesisofnaples
We’re so grateful for the many silver sponsors of our annual golf scramble!

To learn more or register to play, click the link in our bio.

#StMatthewsHouse #nonprofit #charity #golf #SWFL #SouthwestFlorida @gemsofnote @imagewellnessboutique @realtyonegroup @the_baldwin_group @suncoastbeveragesales @gulfshorelife #ChetScholtz #SiniscalchiFamily
Video Reels An update from our President & CEO regarding the incident on April 10.

#StMatthewsHouse
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—” Romans 6:6 

Want to read Wayne's story? Click the link in our bio!

#StMatthewsHouse #SWFL #nonprofit #charity #HolyWeek #ResurrectionStory #Easter #DeathToLife